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The differences between senior hardware engineers and senior 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 engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior hardware engineer has an average salary of $116,383, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.
The top three skills for a senior hardware engineer include C++, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,383 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $55.95 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 55,261 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 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.
Senior hardware engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,383 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $89,000 And $151,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior hardware engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior hardware engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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% |