Job profile
Design Engineer (m/w/d)
Before machines, appliances and other products such as furniture or medical instruments go into production, it is the turn of design engineers to plan these products. In the process they have to be creative and analytical. After all, their designs must ultimately both function and meet all safety-related standards.
What is required for this job? How much does a design engineer earn? And how do I get a job as a design engineer? We shed light on this in this job profile.
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What is a design engineer? Definition and overview
A designer develops equipment, draws up plans for it in computer software and checks it for its material, functionality and cost-effectiveness.
Based on their in-depth specialist knowledge of production and materials science, design engineers create construction plans and models. These technical drawings are digitized using modern computer software and prepared for final production. During this process, designers must observe numerous standards and carry out calculations to ensure that the product is marketable and accepted by the end customer.
They work in a wide variety of sectors - particularly in the electrical and metal industries, vehicle construction and mechanical engineering, but also in medical technology, plastics processing and building installations. This is because almost all industrially manufactured products in our world were previously planned by design engineers.
In addition to their technical and creative work, designers must also keep an eye on the company's goals as well as market and customer requirements in order to ensure product safety and cost-effectiveness.
Design engineer salary: What does a design engineer earn?
The average salary for design engineers in Germany is around €50,000 gross per year.
The workflow of design engineers is highly dependent on the industry in which they work. The question of whether you work in a small to medium-sized company or rather in a large company also has an influence on the average salary. In addition, as in every profession, the factors of the company location and professional experience play an important role. If the design engineer has additional skills that are particularly in demand, this is also an important advantage in terms of salary - and design engineers can also work on a project basis.
Starting salary as a design engineer: Junior design engineer salary
Junior design engineers can expect a starting salary of around €41,000 per year at the beginning of their career. After three years, this salary increases to around €50,000 gross.
Design engineers are best paid in Baden-Württemberg, while salaries are the lowest in the region.
Senior Design Engineer salary
Senior design engineers with over 10 years of professional experience receive an average salary of around €59,000 per year. However, this salary can increase significantly due to various factors such as personnel responsibility. Top earners in this sector earn around €75,000 per year and are usually employed as managers.
What does a design engineer do? Tasks and activities
After creating their first sketch and developing it into a tangible design (in CAD software), they start measuring the material. It is particularly important to test the material for its properties. Designers must ensure that the parts of the final product fit together perfectly and that the materials match each other.
Creation of concepts, designs and models in 2D and 3D
Construction of prototypes
Work organization
Collection of production-related data
Material selection and calculation of material requirements
Creation of design instructions
Sometimes: Collaboration on production
Inspection of the manufactured construction
Maintain contact with clients or customers to know all requirements
Junior design engineer tasks
As a junior design engineer, it is important for you to expand your knowledge and skills. As a rule, you will work together with a senior designer on the design of a product, taking care of sketches, the creation of 3D models and the optimization of existing designs.
Senior design engineer tasks
The tasks of senior designers are often at a strategic level. They work together with other departments and may also have a junior designer at their side who supports them and learns from them.
You are confident in using CAD software, have specialized in a design engineering field and have several years of professional experience.
In some cases, they have also taken on personnel responsibility and serve as managers - this is also reflected in their salaries.
CAD designer: Special features
The term CAD designer is also frequently used in this occupational field. CAD stands for Computer Aided Design and refers to the software solutions used by design engineers to produce drawings and 3D models, simulate designs and carry out calculations.
As a CAD designer, you work primarily on a PC and use special programs that are required for your work. There is a wide range of tools that are used by design engineers. Different programs are used depending on the industry in which they work. The most important of these are AutoCAD, CATIA and SOLIDWORKS.
Nowadays, working with CAD is no longer a specialty for design engineers, which is why the job title "CAD designer" is usually used synonymously with "design engineer".
Mechanical engineering designer: Special features
Design engineers in mechanical engineering make up the largest proportion of subject-specific design engineers. This is because no other technical degree course has as many students as mechanical engineering. Representatives of this field design various machines and systems and are sought after across all industries.
The most important tasks and skills in mechanical engineering include
Scientific fundamentals of mechanical engineering
Applied mathematics in mechanical engineering
Mechanics
Manufacturing technology
Machine elements and technical drawing
Electrical engineering & control technology
Design engineer training, further education & studies: How do you become a design engineer?
Design engineer training
In Germany, you have the opportunity to complete a dual apprenticeship to become a design engineer. The apprenticeship usually lasts 3.5 years and includes a theoretical part in addition to practical training in an apprenticeship occupation. Trainees spend one to two days a week at a vocational college. After passing the final examination, the design engineers can officially apply for suitable positions.
Other apprenticeships also form a good basis for this profession, such as technical system planner or technical product designer.
Design engineer studies
Suitable fields of study for a job as a design engineer are, for example:
- Construction technology
- Mechanical engineering
- Product development
- Electrical engineering
- Automation technology
You can complete the relevant bachelor's degree course in construction technology at HWR Berlin or Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, for example.
Further training as a design engineer
A widely used further training course to become a design engineer is training to become a "state-certified technician". This is a protected job title, as a state-certified examination must be passed at the end.
This design engineer training can be completed at various schools and institutes in Germany and takes about two years full-time.
During further training, you will specialize in a particular field, with design engineers usually opting for mechanical engineering.
You can choose from the following specializations:
- (common for designers) Mechanical engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Building technology
- Computer science
- Environmental technology
- Textile technology
- Chemical engineering
Prerequisites for this educational pathway are several years of professional experience and at least a secondary school leaving certificate.
In many cases, design engineers first complete their dual training, then gain professional experience and complete their education with further training to become a "state-certified technician".
Design engineer as a career changer
Further training for design engineers
Due to the advancing digitalization in the construction industry, further training is essential for designers. They should always be up to date with the latest developments and actively engage with trends and innovations in their industry. Various courses and seminars in different subject areas are available for this purpose.
Possible further training courses for female designers are:
Spezifische Materialfortbildungen (bspw. Edelstahl oder Kunststoff)
LTSpice Weiterbildung (Simulator für Konstruktionen)
Design Thinking
(Agiles) Projektmanagement
Knowledge is power
Design engineer skills: These are your hard skills and soft skills
Design engineers must bring a high degree of professionalism to their job in their specialist field in order to reliably meet the demands placed on them within the set time frame. In addition to basic technical training, design engineers need spatial thinking skills, technical knowledge and the ability to work with CAD programs. Project management skills are just as important as reliability and the ability to work in a team.
The designer hard skills include:
Technical training and further training or studies to become a design engineer
Knowledge of materials science and manufacturing
Spatial imagination
Mathematical knowledge
Analytical thinking
Commercial skills
CAD knowledge
Reliability and resilience
Ability to work in a team
Accuracy and independence
Willingness to learn
Design engineer career: opportunities on the job market
As a design engineer, you will usually be employed in the manufacturing industry. There are jobs in the metal and plastics industry as well as in electrical engineering and medical technology. Many design engineers also work in engineering offices. As a design engineer, you can also go into research and work and teach at universities.
Your chances on the job market are good, because female design engineers (especially in plant engineering) are always in demand. The Hays Skilled Workers Index 2023, which analyzed all German job advertisements on the most popular job portals, also shows this: Apart from a brief slump due to Covid19, the industry is developing stably. In recent years, the demand for design engineers has even increased more strongly.
Demand-Design Engineers-Hays Skilled Labour Index-2023
Alternatives to the profession of design engineer
Technical draughtsman: Technical draughtsmen create detailed technical drawings and plans for the manufacture and construction of products and structures. They work closely with engineers and designers and use their skills in mathematics and technical understanding.
Engineer: Engineers work in a variety of fields, from electrical engineering to civil engineering, and use their strong math and science skills to solve complex problems. Many of the skills acquired in design are very useful in engineering.
Architect: Architects design buildings and structures, using both creative and technical skills. They must be able to produce detailed plans and work with a variety of professionals, including design engineers.
Product designers: Product designers work on the design and development of new products. They must be able to create technical drawings, understand materials and work with manufacturers, similar to design engineers.
These careers could be a good alternative for someone who is interested in construction but perhaps wants to go in a slightly different direction. They require similar skills and knowledge and offer the opportunity to work in technical and creative fields.
Top Vacancies: Design engineer Jobs (m/f/d)
FAQ
Planning and further development of machines, systems and other series products
Creation of 2D or 3D models (using CAD programs)
Material selection
Manufacture and testing of products for safety standards
Although the terms designer and engineer are very often used interchangeably, engineers are people with a degree, whereas this is not essential for designers.
On average, design engineers in Germany earn an annual gross salary of around €50,000 full-time. As a junior design engineer, you can expect to start on around €41,000.
The job title "design engineer" is not protected in Germany. Nevertheless, they usually have a degree or have completed training as a "professionally certified design engineer".
The full-time dual training program for design engineers in Germany lasts around 3.5 years, but can also be shortened. It consists of a practical part in the training company and theory at vocational school.