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The differences between senior research engineers and research engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior research engineer and a research engineer. Additionally, a senior research engineer has an average salary of $115,047, which is higher than the $96,945 average annual salary of a research engineer.
The top three skills for a senior research engineer include python, java and project management. The most important skills for a research engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Senior Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $115,047 | $96,945 |
| Hourly rate | $55.31 | $46.61 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 120,798 | 136,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Research Engineer leads a team of engineers to develop and implement innovative products and technologies. They also provide training and technical support.
Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.
Senior research engineers and research engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average salary | $115,047 | $96,945 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $151,000 | Between $67,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior research engineer and a research engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior research engineers' and research engineers' demographics:
| Senior Research Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |