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The differences between senior 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 engineer and a lead engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 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 engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| 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, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |