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The differences between automotive engineers 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 engineer and a mechanical engineer. Additionally, an automotive engineer has an average salary of $82,211, which is higher than the $75,352 average annual salary of a mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for an automotive engineer include CAD, ISO and adaptive. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.
| Automotive Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,211 | $75,352 |
| Hourly rate | $39.52 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 104,464 | 105,618 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An automotive engineer specializes in designing and developing vehicles for public or private use. Their job entails conducting extensive research and analyses, conceptualizing plans with fellow experts, building prototypes and structures, troubleshooting problems, and implementing multiple test procedures to identify how the vehicle operates at different conditions and ensure its quality adheres to standards and regulations. Besides developing new vehicles, an automotive engineer may also modify existing models, which requires them to study the market and consumers' feedback, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and coordinate upgrades.
Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.
Automotive engineers and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,211 | $75,352 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $118,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cal | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Energy |
There are a few differences between an automotive engineer and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | 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 engineers' and mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Automotive Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.7% 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% |