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The differences between senior hardware engineers and senior design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior hardware engineer, becoming a senior design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior hardware engineer has an average salary of $116,383, which is higher than the $104,698 average annual salary of a senior design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior hardware engineer include C++, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,383 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $55.95 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 55,261 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A Senior Hardware Engineer is responsible for designing computer hardware. They define and coordinate corrective action changes, as well as provide technical support to team members.
A senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
Senior hardware engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,383 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $89,000 And $151,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior hardware engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior hardware engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 29.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |