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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 | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,050 | $103,836 |
| Hourly rate | $51.95 | $49.92 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 88,473 | 98,063 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
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 engineers and senior mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,050 | $103,836 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $177,000 | Between $79,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | BGC Partners | |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Energy |
There are a few differences between a chief engineer and a senior mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between chief engineers' and senior mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Chief Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% |
| Race ratio | Black 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 Percentage | 5% | 5% |