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The differences between biomedical engineers and mechanical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a biomedical engineer, becoming a mechanical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a biomedical engineer has an average salary of $79,436, which is higher than the $75,352 average annual salary of a mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a biomedical engineer include patients, medical devices and biomedical equipment. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.
| Biomedical Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,436 | $75,352 |
| Hourly rate | $38.19 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 33,662 | 105,618 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
As a biomedical engineer, it's their main job responsibility to innovate advances that can improve human health care in all aspects. They analyze and create solutions to certain problems with biology and medicine to improve the effectiveness and quality of patient care. They also do complex tasks that include installing, repairing, maintaining, or providing technical support for biomedical equipment. Moreover, checking safety evaluation, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment is also part of their job responsibilities.
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.
Biomedical engineers and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biomedical Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $79,436 | $75,352 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $108,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone Research | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a biomedical engineer and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Biomedical Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Biomedical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between biomedical engineers' and mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Biomedical Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 20.1% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 13% | 5% |