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The differences between substations electrical engineers and electrical design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a substations electrical engineer and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, a substations electrical engineer has an average salary of $88,149, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for a substations electrical engineer include IEEE, ac and dc. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,149 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $42.38 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,451 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Substation electrical engineers are engineering professionals who design medium and high voltage substations that are used to transmit and distribute electricity. These engineers are required to maintain substation equipment specifications that are according to the current industry standards and operating policies. They must review design drawings and perform load analysis to select the overall platform's power requirements. Substation electrical engineers must also provide cost estimates for substation projects as well as prepare layout drawings for future substation expansion.
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
Substations electrical engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,149 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albuquerque, NM | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Kiewit | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a substations electrical engineer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between substations electrical engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |