Job profile
Design Engineer (m/f/d)
Design engineers are inventive, flexible and creative and are active in all areas of product manufacturing. They use CAD programs and drawing boards to plan, develop and optimize products, plants and systems. They also ensure that there is always enough and the right material available for production.
Designing machines or modifying them according to customer specifications, evaluating measurement data, supporting and improving processes and exchanging information with the research and development department: The job is varied. In addition to sound technical expertise, design engineers also have a trained eye for customer wishes, market requirements and company goals. They are in demand in a wide range of industries. These primarily include plastics processing, mechanical and vehicle engineering, medical technology, the metal and electrical industries and furniture and timber construction.
Are you looking for a job as a design engineer?
Are you looking for suitable design engineers?
Are you looking for an exciting project as a design engineer?
Are you a design engineer who likes to work on a project-based, temporary basis and is flexible in terms of location? Then there's every reason to get in touch with us, because we can also find suitable projects for self-employed people in Austria.
What is a design engineer? Definition and overview
A design engineer develops equipment, draws up plans for it using computer software and tests 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 then digitized using modern computer software (CAD) and prepared for final production. During this process, design engineers 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 range 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, design engineers must also keep an eye on company 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 in Austria?
Starting salary as a design engineer in Austria: Junior design engineer salary
Junior design engineers can expect a starting salary of around €36,000 per year at the beginning of their career. After three years, this salary can increase to around €45,000 per year.
Apprentices in construction earn between € 900 and € 1,200 per month in their first year of training. In the fourth year of their apprenticeship, they earn between €1,800 and €2,200 gross per month. The best-paid construction disciplines are steel construction and metal construction technology.
Senior design engineer salary in Austria
What does a design engineer do? Tasks and activities
Design engineers conceptualize and design new products, equipment and systems.
They utilize existing sources of information and develop three-dimensional models based on CAD, which can also be converted into two-dimensional designs or in graphic form, e.g. as a photorealistic reproduction. New concepts and models are created by analyzing requirements, taking into account costs and material requirements, in order to expand the possibilities in planning and production. They also create technical specifications, virtual simulations, presentations and parts lists.
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.
Depending on the specialization chosen by the design engineer, their field of work also differs.
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: Your activities to start
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
CAD design engineers are often referred to 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. Depending on the industry in which they work, different programs are used. 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 program has as many students as mechanical engineering. This also applies to apprenticeships: the majority of Austrian design engineer apprentices choose to specialize in mechanical engineering. Representatives of this specialization 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 engineers Apprenticeship, further education & studies: How to become a design engineer in Austria?
Design engineer apprenticeship
In Austria, you can complete a normal apprenticeship as a design engineer. The apprenticeship lasts around four years and includes both a practical part in a training company and a theoretical part at a vocational college.
During their apprenticeship, apprentices are taught how to create plans and drawings as well as the practical production of these products. This allows them to experience the entire process from the idea to the finished system.
During your apprenticeship, you will specialize in one of 6 areas:
- Electrical installation technology
- Installation and building technology
- Mechanical engineering
- Metal construction technology
- Steel construction technology
- Toolmaking technology
The tasks and skills you will acquire during your training will vary depending on the specialist area. Other apprenticeships also form a good basis for this profession, such as that for a draftsman.
You can start an apprenticeship in construction at various schools and companies in Austria.
Design engineer studies
A technical degree provides an excellent basis for a career in design. If you are a design engineer and want to pursue a steep career path and earn a corresponding salary, a degree is the best way for you.
Suitable fields of study for a job as a design engineer are, for example:
Mechanical engineering
Product development
Electrical engineering
Automation technology
These courses are offered at various universities and universities of applied sciences in Austria, such as the TU Vienna, the TU Graz or the FH Johanneum.
There is currently no relevant degree course in Austria, such as design engineering. However, it is offered as a Bachelor's degree in Germany, for example at the HWR Berlin or the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Further training as a design engineer
A widespread further training course for people who have completed their apprenticeship in the field of mechanical or electrical engineering is the foreman training course to obtain the title of master craftsman in the industrial sector. It takes around two years and takes place in the form of an evening school - so it can be easily combined with a job. In addition to the master craftsman in mechanical engineering and the master craftsman in electrical engineering, there are many other specializations, such as information technology, technical chemistry and environmental technology or mechatronics.
There are also three-year advanced courses that prepare design engineers for the diploma or school-leaving examination.
Design engineers in lateral entry
Career changers can also retrain as design engineers. In addition to apprentices who have completed their four-year apprenticeship, other people are also allowed to take the final design engineer apprenticeship examination. These are, for example, people over 18 who can prove that they have acquired the necessary knowledge through other means (work experience, training).
It is not recommended for people from outside the field to enter the profession of design engineer without training or a suitable degree.
Further training for design engineers
Due to the advancing digitalization in the design industry, further training is essential for design engineers. 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 training courses for design engineers are:
Specific material training (e.g. stainless steel or plastic)
LTSpice training (simulator for constructions)
Design Thinking
(Agile) project management
Design engineer skills: These are your hard skills and soft skills
In order to complete the individual tasks within the given time frame, design engineers should have a high level of expertise, professionalism and the ability to work in a team.
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 hard skills of the designers include:
Technical training and further education or studies in construction technology
Knowledge of materials science and production
Spatial imagination
Mathematical knowledge
Analytical thinking
Commercial skills
CAD knowledge
The soft skills of design engineers include:
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.
Although the profession is still in demand and is needed across all sectors, the number of apprentices is decreasing every year.
Your chances on the job market are good, because design engineers (especially in plant engineering) are always in demand. The Hays Specialist Index 2023, which analyzed all job advertisements on the most popular job portals, also shows this: The demand for design engineers has risen sharply after corona. Although the index fell slightly in 2023, a positive trend is emerging.
Demand Design Engineers
Alternatives to the profession of design engineer
There are several professions that require similar skills and interests as the profession of design engineer. Here are some alternatives:
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 create detailed plans and collaborate with a variety of professionals, including designers.
Product designer: 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 professions could be a good alternative for anyone 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 mandatory for designers.
On average, design engineers in Austria earn an annual gross salary of around €45,000 full-time. As a junior design engineer, you can expect to start with around €36,000.
The profession of "design engineer" is generally an apprenticeship in Austria. After completing a four-year apprenticeship and passing an apprenticeship examination, you can call yourself a design engineer.
The apprenticeship to become a design engineer takes around 4 years in Austria. It consists of a practical part in the training company and a theoretical part at vocational school.
Useful Links
Our business model
Our specialisations
About us