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The differences between test design engineers and electrical design 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 test design engineer, becoming an electrical design engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a test design engineer has an average salary of $88,403, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for a test design engineer include test equipment, RF and python. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,403 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $42.50 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 125,776 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A Test Design Engineer's job is to critically check all materials, processes, electrical, and mechanical systems to ensure that customers get high-quality products. As a Test Design Engineer, your job is to run tests to check the quality of products throughout the production cycle. This is done by checking the various components and features of these products to identify and fix technical issues easily. Your duties will also include checking the raw materials used for production, creating test environments and analyzing the results, and trying to ascertain the root cause of the malfunctions.
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
Test design engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,403 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $115,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a test design engineer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between test design engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |