Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008 - (Page 31)

SALARy SurvEy Designers Take on TechNoloGy challeNGes in 2008 The decisions made in the design seat determine not only the size and shape of the PCB, but also the technology and materials needed to build it. by KATH y NARGI-TOTH The economy may be in a stall, but designers’ salaries still buck the trend. Last month, we asked designers to once again participate in our annual salary survey. The response was great, up over 30% from last year. Thank you to everyone who participated. The 2008 salary survey represents the input from over 300 designers who answered a very detailed questionnaire that related to their job, salary, benefits and education. It also provided the opportunity to voice what they see as the biggest challenges for 2009. As in previous years, the majority of designers who responded to the survey work for an OEM company (FiGurE 1). The OEM designers represented 70.5% of the respondents. The next largest category included designers who work outside of the traditional PCB design companies, including semiconductor and packaging designers, at 9.3%. Service bureau designers represented 8.9% of the respondents. The top three end product segments worked on by OEM (70.5%) Outside of PCB Area (9.3%) these designers were in the areas of communications systems/equipment (17.5%), government/military/avionics/ marine/space (15.6%) and industrial controls/equipment/ robotics (10.9%). Overall the end products designed by the salary survey participants represented a good cross section of the electronics industry, as seen in FiGurE 2. The annual base salary for designers working in the US increased in 2008, 3.2% over 2007 figures. Designers working outside of the US also saw their salaries increase. The average base salary for designers is highlighted in taBlE 1. Men working in the US, who comprised 86.1% of the respondents, made on average $4920.00 more in total salary than their female counterparts. Many of the designers indicated that they received an annual bonus. The average annual bonus in the US was 6% of the base salary. The bonus was substantially higher in non-US locations, contributing 8.9% to the total salary. A majority of respondents received a raise in 2008, with 72.2% of the designers indicating that they received a raise. Employment was more stable than for previous years. Only 4.3% of the designers surveyed had expeCommunication Systems/ Equipment (17.5%) Government/Military/ Avionics/Marine/ Space (15.6%) Industrial Controls/ Equipment/ Robotics (10.9%) Consumer Electronics (10.6%) Computers/Peripherals (7.9%) Automotive/ Other Ground Vehicles (3.6%) Design Service Bureau (8.9%) Both OEM & Service Bureau (6%) Consultant/Educator/ Financial Analyst (2.3%) Contract Fabrication Services (but not a PCB fabricator) (2%) PCB Fabricator (1%) Electronic Instruments/ ATE Design and Test (6.3%) Semiconductors/Packaging/ System Interconnect (6.3%) PCBs (6.6%) Other (7.0%) Medical/Optical Electronics & Equipment (7.6%) FiGurE 1. The type of company designers worked for in 2008. DECEMBER 2008 FiGurE 2. The industry sector designers in 2008 served. printEd CirCuit dESign & fAB 31

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings ROI Global Sourcing EMC for the Real World Interconnect Strategies On the Forefront Final Finish Forum Test and Inspection Electronic System Design Data Management 101 Designers Take on Technology Challenges in 2008 PCB Signal Integrity, Power Integrity and EMC Challenges What’s in a Name? Ad Index PCB Dielectric Materials for High-Speed Applications Off the Shelf Marketplace BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008

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