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The differences between substations electrical engineers and electrical engineers lead 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 engineer lead. Additionally, an electrical engineer lead has an average salary of $111,251, which is higher than the $88,149 average annual salary of a substations electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a substations electrical engineer include IEEE, ac and dc. The most important skills for an electrical engineer lead are electrical engineering, autocad, and engineering design.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $88,149 | $111,251 |
| Hourly rate | $42.38 | $53.49 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,451 | 82,196 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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 engineer lead is an engineering professional who works with clients and internal engineers to establish project requirements and work on multiple electrical projects. Electrical engineer leads provide the cost estimation of electrical projects and prepare budget proposals as well as assign personnel with the capabilities required to complete the assigned tasks. They are required to review the calculation methods to ensure that they comply with all regulatory and project requirements. Electrical engineer leads must also accurately check the electrical design calculations for electrical loads, short circuit, and voltage drop using standard electrical engineering software.
Substations electrical engineers and electrical engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $88,149 | $111,251 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $83,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albuquerque, NM | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Kiewit | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a substations electrical engineer and an electrical engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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 engineers lead' demographics:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |