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The differences between senior field engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior field engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, which is higher than the $97,104 average annual salary of a senior field engineer.
The top three skills for a senior field engineer include RF, technical support and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Senior Field Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,104 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $46.68 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 86,767 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior field engineer is in charge of overseeing and providing technical support on-site, helping operations run smoothly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include performing installations and upgrades, performing research and analysis, managing staff, producing progress reports, and conducting inspections, ensuring compliance with state laws and regulations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks on equipment, performing corrective repairs and adjustments when necessary. Furthermore, as a senior field engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers while implementing the site's safety policies and regulations.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Senior field engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Field Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,104 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $139,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior field engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Field Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior field engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Field Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |