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The differences between senior engineers and junior 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 engineer and a junior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $70,653 average annual salary of a junior engineer.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a junior engineer are control systems, java, and C++.
| Senior Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $70,653 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $33.97 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 107,703 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
A Junior Engineer helps design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or public works. They work under the supervision of an engineer.
Senior engineers and junior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $70,653 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $54,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Roku | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and a junior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and junior engineers' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |