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The differences between systems engineers and lead systems 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 systems engineer and a lead systems engineer. Additionally, a lead systems engineer has an average salary of $119,705, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a systems engineer include python, linux and C++. The most important skills for a lead systems engineer are systems engineering, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,834 | $119,705 |
| Hourly rate | $39.82 | $57.55 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 145,936 | 186,392 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
A lead systems engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the systems infrastructure and improving the stability of the operating systems to support business operations. Lead systems engineers install and upgrade software applications and ensure that the technical strategies meet the quality standards and business requirements. They also enhance the performance of the existing systems, configuring features for optimization. A lead systems engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in supporting the end-users with technical failures and identifying accurate resolutions.
Systems engineers and lead systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,834 | $119,705 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $109,000 | Between $90,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a systems engineer and a lead systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between systems engineers' and lead systems engineers' demographics:
| Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |