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The differences between senior lead systems 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 lead systems engineer, becoming a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior lead systems engineer has an average salary of $114,766, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.
The top three skills for a senior lead systems engineer include java, systems engineering and architecture. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $114,766 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $55.18 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 251,239 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior lead systems engineer specializes in designing and developing systems for different industries. Besides engineering systems, they lead the efforts put into completing various projects and programs. Their duties usually include spearheading the research activities, establishing goals and guidelines, setting timelines, selecting resources, delegating responsibilities, and monitoring operations from planning to production, addressing issues and concerns to solve them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, as a senior lead systems engineer, they must lead and empower teams while implementing safety policies and industry standards.
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 lead systems engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $114,766 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $151,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior lead systems engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior lead systems engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 14.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 5% |