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The differences between systems engineers staff 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 staff and a lead systems engineer. Additionally, a systems engineer staff has an average salary of $129,611, which is higher than the $119,705 average annual salary of a lead systems engineer.
The top three skills for a systems engineer staff include architecture, DOD and MATLAB. The most important skills for a lead systems engineer are systems engineering, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Systems Engineer Staff | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $129,611 | $119,705 |
| Hourly rate | $62.31 | $57.55 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 304,494 | 186,392 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A systems engineer staff is responsible for designing and developing systems and software that optimize business operations, ensuring smooth workflow and client satisfaction. They primarily conduct research and analysis to identify the needs of the company and its clients, examine existing systems to identify areas needing improvements, install applications, and perform regular maintenance checks, providing corrective measures as required. Furthermore, as a systems engineer staff, it is essential to provide technical support within the company, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
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 staff and lead systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Engineer Staff | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $129,611 | $119,705 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $175,000 | Between $90,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a systems engineer staff and a lead systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Engineer Staff | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between systems engineers staff' and lead systems engineers' demographics:
| Systems Engineer Staff | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 9% |