Test engineering manager vs design manager

The differences between test engineering managers and design managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a test engineering manager and a design manager. Additionally, a test engineering manager has an average salary of $117,209, which is higher than the $102,637 average annual salary of a design manager.

The top three skills for a test engineering manager include test engineering, test equipment and test automation. The most important skills for a design manager are sketch, project management, and visualization.

Test engineering manager vs design manager overview

	Test Engineering Manager	Design Manager
Yearly salary	$117,209	$102,637
Hourly rate	$56.35	$49.34
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	84,350	61,273
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a test engineering manager do?

Test engineering managers take responsibility for the management of testing procedures and strategies evaluation, implementation, and recommendation. The engineering managers make sure that primary projects and duties associated with engineering are fulfilled within budget and on-time. They answer technical questions related to engineering. It is part of their job to train new employees. Also, they work with different departments within the organization.

What does a design manager do?

A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.

Test engineering manager vs design manager salary

Test engineering managers and design managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Test Engineering Manager	Design Manager
Average salary	$117,209	$102,637
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $153,000	Between $69,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Google	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between test engineering manager and design manager education

There are a few differences between a test engineering manager and a design manager in terms of educational background:

	Test Engineering Manager	Design Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Graphic Design
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Test engineering manager vs design manager demographics

Here are the differences between test engineering managers' and design managers' demographics:

	Test Engineering Manager	Design Manager
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3%	Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 14.8% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between test engineering manager and design manager duties and responsibilities

Test engineering manager example responsibilities.

Manage regulatory and agency (UL, CSA, FCC, IEC, FDA, CE , 510k, etc . )
Manage development of applications to save the tests data into the SQL database.
Manage chemical testing laboratory for analyzing field materials for engineers using ASTM requirements.
Manage workflow and oversee strict cleanroom operations, assuring compliance with FDA specifications including labeling and packaging traceability.
Configure storage arrays for compatibility testing with new HBAs and switches.
Perform inter-divisional ISO audits, prepare ISO documents and maintain ISO records.

Design manager example responsibilities.

Help achieve status of medical device manufacturer through the FDA.
Manage several consultants preparing contract documents on the various NYC let and NYS let projects.
Manage and collaborate with ASIC library/memory vendors.
Manage design, tooling, equipment implementations and process improvements for foundry/machining metalworking manufacturer of automotive OEM products.
Design blueprints, bills of materials, FEA as required.
Include producing FDA and ISO-9000 level documentation of the project.

Test engineering manager vs design manager skills

Common test engineering manager skills

Test Engineering, 10%
Test Equipment, 6%
Test Automation, 5%
RF, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
End-To-End Testing, 4%

Common design manager skills

Sketch, 8%
Project Management, 8%
Visualization, 5%
User Experience, 4%
PowerPoint, 4%
Design Process, 4%

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Test Engineering Manager
Test Engineering Manager vs Design Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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