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The differences between senior electronic engineers and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior electronic engineer and a lead engineer. Additionally, a senior electronic engineer has an average salary of $106,931, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electronic engineer include power electronics, analog and C++. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,931 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $51.41 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 63,815 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Electronics Engineer is responsible for the directive development of communication systems, the field support design, equipment modifications, and technical issuances. This position demands knowledge in applied engineering principles to analyze and test electronic system performances or applications, technical documentation, producing engineering prototypes, and developing software. These professionals work with different equipment, from phones to PCs and even medical equipment or military systems. A Senior Electronics Engineer's tasks include checking the quality of the equipment they are using and ensuring that projects are cost-efficient, completed on time, and safe.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Senior electronic engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,931 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $141,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior electronic engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior electronic engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 15.9% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |