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Chief engineer vs senior mechanical engineer

The differences between chief engineers and senior 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 a chief engineer and a senior mechanical engineer. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $103,836 average annual salary of a senior mechanical engineer.

The top three skills for a chief engineer include HVAC, plumbing and customer service. The most important skills for a senior mechanical engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and solidworks.

Chief engineer vs senior mechanical engineer overview

Chief EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Yearly salary$108,050$103,836
Hourly rate$51.95$49.92
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs88,47398,063
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a chief engineer do?

A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.

What does a senior mechanical engineer do?

A senior mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and improving mechanical equipment, as well as industrial devices and machinery. Senior mechanical engineers verify the materials and resources, ensuring that the processes meet the budget goals from clients' specifications and requirements. They also monitor the manufacturing process, developing strategic procedures for operations improvement, and maximizing staff productivity. A senior mechanical engineer runs multiple diagnostic tests to guarantee the stability and efficiency of the item and coordinating with the client for any plan adjustments as needed.

Chief engineer vs senior mechanical engineer salary

Chief engineers and senior mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chief EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Average salary$108,050$103,836
Salary rangeBetween $65,000 And $177,000Between $79,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CityPalo Alto, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyBGC PartnersGoogle
Best paying industryTransportationEnergy

Differences between chief engineer and senior mechanical engineer education

There are a few differences between a chief engineer and a senior mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:

Chief EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Chief engineer vs senior mechanical engineer demographics

Here are the differences between chief engineers' and senior mechanical engineers' demographics:

Chief EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 96.2% Female, 3.8%Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between chief engineer and senior mechanical engineer duties and responsibilities

Chief engineer example responsibilities.

  • Lead SQL performance overhaul for SaaS web applications.
  • Manage A/E design contracts, evaluate cost proposals and provide construction inspection.
  • Maintain HVAC/R equipment and kitchen equipment throughout a number of different properties that LPC manages.
  • Manage staff, contracts, vendor relations, bids, projects, RFP's and negotiations.
  • Co-Authore OSHA VPP application and lead ongoing safety training and documentation administration.
  • Initiate and manage several CMMS programs for productivity and inventory control programs.
  • Show more

Senior mechanical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Create DFMEA documents to help manage risks and improve initial quality.
  • Set up and manage PCB manufacturing including all chemical baths, lasers, and exposure equipment.
  • Restructure VHDL code and chip/module hierarchy to achieve timing goals for the dual cache controller and the chip.
  • Achieve timely convergence of complex designs by building RTL models from validation area and integrating them, before official model release.
  • Lead FPGA development of key digital communication component used in successful demonstration of spacecraft radio link.
  • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
  • Show more

Chief engineer vs senior mechanical engineer skills

Common chief engineer skills
  • HVAC, 12%
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Life Safety Systems, 4%
  • Boilers, 4%
  • Ladders, 3%
Common senior mechanical engineer skills
  • Mechanical Engineering, 15%
  • CAD, 7%
  • Solidworks, 7%
  • Mechanical Design, 5%
  • Mechanical Systems, 5%
  • HVAC, 4%

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