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The differences between senior engineers and lead design 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 lead design engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $108,490 average annual salary of a lead design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a lead design engineer are CAD, project management, and lead design.
| Senior Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $108,490 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $52.16 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 118,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
Senior engineers and lead design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $108,490 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $82,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and a lead design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and lead design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |