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The differences between system design engineers and contracting 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 system design engineer, becoming a contracting engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $107,704 average annual salary of a system design engineer.
The top three skills for a system design engineer include system design, architecture and MATLAB. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| System Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,704 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 113,582 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
System design engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| System Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,704 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $149,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a system design engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| System Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between system design engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| System Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |