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Senior research engineer vs senior engineer

The differences between senior research engineers and senior 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 senior engineer. Additionally, a senior research engineer has an average salary of $115,047, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.

The top three skills for a senior research engineer include python, java and project management. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.

Senior research engineer vs senior engineer overview

Senior Research EngineerSenior Engineer
Yearly salary$115,047$108,743
Hourly rate$55.31$52.28
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs120,798343,200
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a senior research engineer do?

A Senior Research Engineer leads a team of engineers to develop and implement innovative products and technologies. They also provide training and technical support.

What does a senior engineer do?

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 research engineer vs senior engineer salary

Senior research engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Research EngineerSenior Engineer
Average salary$115,047$108,743
Salary rangeBetween $87,000 And $151,000Between $82,000 And $144,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Mateo, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyNetflixRoku
Best paying industryFinanceStart-up

Differences between senior research engineer and senior engineer education

There are a few differences between a senior research engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:

Senior Research EngineerSenior Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMichigan Technological University

Senior research engineer vs senior engineer demographics

Here are the differences between senior research engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:

Senior Research EngineerSenior Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 88.8% Female, 11.2%Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between senior research engineer and senior engineer duties and responsibilities

Senior research engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage a proof-of-concept and prototyping program for a vehicle tagging and electronic tracking system.
  • Carry out ETL tasks using Java and Apache/Hadoop.
  • Design plastic and metal components for cells and batteries using Solidworks.
  • Select to travel to Malaysia to identify and resolve issues in filter prototyping and manufacture.
  • Develop test plans and set ups for imaging, chemical sensing, RF devices, and composite materials.
  • Project include optics, lasers, high-speed digital, high speed A2D, RF, liquid helium, etc.
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Senior engineer example responsibilities.

  • Tune the TCP/IP, NFS and CIFS for 1Gb and 10Gb Ethernet to achieve performance goals.
  • Manage multiple releases of a global CRM initiative with on time and within budget deployment.
  • Implement and support migration tool used to automate promotion of code throughout all SDLC environments.
  • Manage & lead process analysis, design, & ERP implementation engagements at various client locations.
  • Design, lead design, or participate in design of five T/R modules for phase array antennas.
  • Create customized shell scripts to start-up and shut-down WebLogic admin and manage servers and integrate them with the OS.
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Senior research engineer vs senior engineer skills

Common senior research engineer skills
  • Python, 15%
  • Java, 6%
  • Project Management, 4%
  • Software Development, 4%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
  • C, 4%
Common senior engineer skills
  • Java, 10%
  • Python, 9%
  • Architecture, 7%
  • JavaScript, 4%
  • API, 4%
  • GIT, 3%

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