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The differences between automotive designers and mechanical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an automotive designer and a mechanical engineer. Additionally, a mechanical engineer has an average salary of $75,352, which is higher than the $69,782 average annual salary of an automotive designer.
The top three skills for an automotive designer include industrial design, sketch and powertrain. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.
| Automotive Designer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,782 | $75,352 |
| Hourly rate | $33.55 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 76,806 | 105,618 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Automotive designers and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Designer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $69,782 | $75,352 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $108,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between an automotive designer and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Designer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between automotive designers' and mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Automotive Designer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |