How To Become A Senior System Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior system designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Abby Guido

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a senior system designer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $56.51 an hour? That's $117,540 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Senior System Designer?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreSenior System DesignerUS Average

Salary

8.1

Avg. Salary $117,540

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.7

Growth Rate 21%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.75%

Black or African American 4.65%

Hispanic or Latino 8.43%

Unknown 4.86%

White 52.14%

Gender

female 9.74%

male 90.26%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

4.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.8

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior system designer

Explore senior system designer education requirements

Most common senior system designer degrees

Bachelor's

49.8 %

Associate

26.3 %

Master's

13.7 %

Start to develop specific senior system designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Sketch	33.36%
CAD	9.99%
Control Systems	5.64%
SR	4.81%
Java	4.75%

Complete relevant senior system designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior system designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior system designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior system designer resumes.

Research senior system designer duties and responsibilities

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Get senior system designer experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior system designer. The most common roles before becoming a senior system designer include senior designer, systems designer team lead and electrical & instrumentation designer.

Prepare your senior system designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior system designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior system designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior System Designer Resume templates

Build a professional Senior System Designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Senior System Designer resume.

Apply for senior system designer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior system designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do senior system designers rate their job?