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The differences between design engineers and staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a design engineer and a staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a design engineer include C++, UL and project management. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly Salary | $77,134 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $51.70 |
| Growth Rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number Of Jobs | 138,173 | 277,011 |
| Job Satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average Age | 41 | 41 |
| Years Of Experience | 6 | 6 |
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Design engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average Salary | $77,134 | $107,530 |
| Salary Range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest Paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest Paying State | California | California |
| Best Paying Company | Meta | Flexport |
| Best Paying Industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a design engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most Common Major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most Common College | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between design engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average Age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender Ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race Ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |