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The differences between substations electrical engineers and senior electrical 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 a senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, 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 a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,149 | $109,315 |
| Hourly rate | $42.38 | $52.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,451 | 82,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
A senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
Substations electrical engineers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,149 | $109,315 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albuquerque, NM | Seattle, WA |
| 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 a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior electrical engineers' demographics:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |