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The differences between staff electrical engineers and design 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 staff electrical engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a staff electrical engineer has an average salary of $112,225, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a staff electrical engineer include electrical engineering, analog and electrical systems. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,225 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $53.95 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 129,667 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A staff electrical engineer specializes in designing and developing electrical systems and equipment. Their responsibilities typically include understanding the project's needs, conducting research and analysis, creating prototypes and test structures, performing installations and adjustments, resolving and repairing issues, and developing strategies to enhance existing systems. They must also perform regular maintenance checks to maintain a safe and efficient work environment. Moreover, a staff electrical engineer may train junior engineers while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Staff electrical engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,225 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $152,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a staff electrical engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between staff electrical engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.1% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |