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The differences between team lead engineers and senior systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a team lead engineer, becoming a senior systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a team lead engineer has an average salary of $114,867, which is higher than the $108,121 average annual salary of a senior systems engineer.
The top three skills for a team lead engineer include python, architecture and java. The most important skills for a senior systems engineer are architecture, linux, and java.
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $114,867 | $108,121 |
| Hourly rate | $55.22 | $51.98 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 235,155 | 166,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A team leads engineer is in charge of spearheading and overseeing the efforts of an engineering team, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although the duties may depend on one's industry of employment, it typically includes designing and developing systems according to project requirements, setting objectives and construction guidelines, delegating tasks, managing budgets and schedules, and monitoring the workflow, performing corrective measures as needed. Furthermore, as a team leads engineer, it is essential to encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's safety standards and regulations.
A senior systems engineer specializes in overseeing network systems, management tools, software, and hardware within a company or an organization. Their primary responsibility is to install, maintain, and resolve complex system issues using their years of extensive knowledge and expertise. They can also provide insights, troubleshooting, and technical support should it be needed. Furthermore, as a senior systems engineer, it is also their responsibility to lead, supervise, and coordinate with a team of skilled system engineers while in adherence to company policies and regulations.
Team lead engineers and senior systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $114,867 | $108,121 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $156,000 | Between $82,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a team lead engineer and a senior systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between team lead engineers' and senior systems engineers' demographics:
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |