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The differences between senior electronic engineers and staff 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 staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $106,931 average annual salary of a senior electronic engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electronic engineer include power electronics, analog and C++. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,931 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $51.41 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 63,815 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Senior electronic engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,931 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $141,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior electronic engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior electronic engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |