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The differences between senior industrial designers and lead designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior industrial designer, becoming a lead designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $74,758 average annual salary of a senior industrial designer.
The top three skills for a senior industrial designer include industrial design, solidworks and CAD. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Senior Industrial Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,758 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $35.94 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,343 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A senior industrial designer specializes in designing and developing ideas into manufactured products. Most of their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to identify what the product will be and who will use it, conceptualize plans and designs, create sketches and blueprints, utilize software and other tools to come up with virtual models, and present prototypes to clients. They must also develop guidelines and specifications according to the project's requirements. Moreover, as a senior industrial engineer, they must lead and serve as a role model to junior designers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Senior industrial designers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Industrial Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $74,758 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $121,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior industrial designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Industrial Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior industrial designers' and lead designers' demographics:
| Senior Industrial Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |