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The differences between test design engineers and electrical 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 engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a test design engineer has an average salary of $88,403, which is higher than the $81,026 average annual salary of an electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a test design engineer include test equipment, RF and python. The most important skills for an electrical engineer are autocad, electrical systems, and UL.
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,403 | $81,026 |
| Hourly rate | $42.50 | $38.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 125,776 | 68,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing and developing new electrical systems, solving issues, and testing equipment. They work on various technologies, including telecommunication systems, satellite communications, and electrical power stations. Electrical engineers study and apply the mathematics and physics of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity to small and large-scale electrical systems to transmit energy and process information. They often work with all types of electronic devices, such as supercomputers and power transmission. They also work in the emerging field of microelectronics.
Test design engineers and electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,403 | $81,026 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $115,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redmond, WA |
| 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 engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 engineers' demographics:
| Test Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |