IC Application Engineer vs IC Design Engineer

what is the different of the both job ? Which one got more market value ?

This is an interesting question.

IC desing engineer, is the person who design the IC, write the VHDL code, performs the back end tasks in the case of the digital ASIC/SoC, or a lot more in the case of the Analog design.

The application engineer on the other hand, may or may not know much about how to actually make the ASIC/SoC, but knows one of the two main tasks, 1 - how the tools are used and 2- How that specific ASIC/SoC is used

As far as I can say, they both have a great market value, but most of the IC designers have speciallity in one or 2 type of technology and get paid big money if they are really good.

BR,
/Farhad

so an ic design engineer must have more in-depth technical knowledge and problem-solving skill than an application engineer.

Not necesserily.

IC design engineer needs to have in depth design knowledge he/she may not have much knowledge of the problem-solving, but must have very good knowledge of "how" to DO things.

For the AE, it is highly dependent on the type of application we are talking about.

for example, an applications engineer for Analog Devices needs to know a lot about the components the company makes, how to use them, how to solve design issues and how to adjust various parameters of that specific device, or in some cases, to know how to re-direct the questions and ask the proper person at his/her company for advice. AE is generally a "people" type of person who must be very good at communicating with others.

BR,
/Farhad

Hi,

If I take a example like this, IC Design Engineer have more advantage compare to IC Application Engineer ?

IC Application Engineer need to start from A to Z again if he cross to other IC Design company, because of different company the IC function is different.

Whereas, when IC Design Engineer cross to other IC Design company, he/she need not start from A to Z again because VHDL, Cadance design tool might be similiar to former company, therefore more market value ?

Question 2,
It is possible for IC application Engineer change to IC Design Engineer, can he/she pick up IC Design Engineer job easily ?

How about in another way round ?
It is possible for IC Design Engineer change to IC Application Engineer, can he/she pick up IC Application Engineer job easily ?

Added after 56 seconds:

Hi,

If I take a example like this, IC Design Engineer have more advantage compare to IC Application Engineer ?

IC Application Engineer need to start from A to Z again if he cross to other IC Design company, because of different company the IC function is different.

Whereas, when IC Design Engineer cross to other IC Design company, he/she need not start from A to Z again because VHDL, Cadance design tool might be similiar to former company, therefore more market value ?

Question 2,
It is possible for IC application Engineer change to IC Design Engineer, can he/she pick up IC Design Engineer job easily ?

How about in another way round ?
It is possible for IC Design Engineer change to IC Application Engineer, can he/she pick up IC Application Engineer job easily ?

But Application Engineer have a chance to make some new which can sell a lot to market and earn a lot of money. If he have new idea, he could start an company to become ... BOSS

Application engineer need more market sense and product creativity. Usually the system solution will push to market for sales purpose.

I think application designer will get more marcket.

Hi terminal,
It is highly depends on what you mean here.

An IC design engineer can become AE, if he/she is good at marketting and an overal view of all the products the company has, sometimes, if the company is big enough, it is possible to be AE for a single product, a so caled expert AE.

If you are looking for a flexible job position and the best money, I would say the AE has a much better chance to get a lot of money than a design engineer.

The design jobs are so tuff these days, that if you are out of the loop for even a year, it is really difficult to get back in.

I was in that cituation some times ago, and I am still strugling to get back on my feet when it comes to VHDL programming and handling of complex tasks and issues. The desings are getting more and more complex by the day and you need to be very allert in order to be able stay valuable on this competitive market, and it doesn't matter if you are a AE or a designer.

BR,
/Farhad

An IC design engineer first of all shall be a good application engineer, when an apps engineer is not necessarily to know everything about IC design.
Usually the market requires more apps engineers than IC designers, due to higher number of applications of the same IC.

Hi,

Does Application Engineer need to run to customer site? need to do presentation slide for the IC? need to answerable on Quality and Reliability issue ?

Then is Application Engineer job similiar to Sales Engineer also only minus the sale part?

IC Design always work infront of a PC whereas Application Engineer need to meet customer ?

Thanks farhada, vfone, trigger74, cetc1525... and all, for the feedback

I think both of them have good market value as long
as you are good at it.

In my opinion the best is analog ic design. Analog ic designer is less in number in market. And it has a critical value in electronics market

but when there are a lot of analog ic design, the analog ic designers will loss the good market value.

Dennis Ritchie made C , and then everybody used C for their own applications.
Although Dennis would always be seen as a great designer but for others its a well made cake ,just to be eaten.

All you need to know is how to eat the cake !

I hope analogy is clear.

But in today's scenarios ,these two are not neccesarily seen as two different streams or expertise !

As per the market a person who can design IC but yet knows its application would have much higher value than a very great Design Engineer or Application Engineer.

Bye

I agree with paladinzlp
both of them have good market value if you are good at them.

Don't argue on AE and DE!! If u are fit for either of them,u will have a good market. The key point depend on yourself!

OK let me put it like this.... if they don't get hired they won't have any market value at all.... if job market is crappy it doesn't matter what you know or how good you are. besides, when you graduate you end up working as somthing else than you originally planned.... so what's the poin't of asking?

Added after 6 minutes:

also if i can add... right now i am taking a course in how ICs are actually made... and let me tell you... being IC designer job is no fun... they sit and they look into a piece of paper with whole bunch of colorful lines on it and mark some stuff on it, i think being a circuit designer is the best way to go, you actually can have fun wotrking

Added after 58 seconds:

also if i can add... right now i am taking a course in how ICs are actually made... and let me tell you... being IC designer job is no fun... they sit and they look into a piece of paper with whole bunch of colorful lines on it and mark some stuff on it, i think being a circuit designer is the best way to go, you actually can have fun wotrking

To be honest, I like to be a IC Designer which I think to be more creative and challenage. Right now, in my country, the application engineer is considered to be a business man rather than engineer.

Hi There,
In the past year, I have worked as design ASIC design engineer, I have to say, it wasn't really what I thought it would be.

90% of the time was spent on discussion about technology choice, change of names to match different standards, writing documents, specifying test conditions etc.

from January I will start working as Applicaitons engineer to act as level 2 support for FAEs in south east Asia, as far as I can say, the job is very challenging and interesting. I have to learn the product VERY well, have to understand the customer design criteria very well and try to find the problems in the design, documentaiton or in the customers application.

As far as I can say, this will be the most challenging position I have had in the past 15 years. But the work of FAE is probably different than the position I will have.

Best regards,
/Farhad