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The differences between contract designers and mechanical design 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 contract designer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a mechanical design engineer has an average salary of $75,821, which is higher than the $58,458 average annual salary of a contract designer.
The top three skills for a contract designer include assembly drawings, sketch and web banners. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Contract Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,458 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $28.10 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 51,980 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The primary duty of a Contract Designer is to deliver creative strategies and design concepts that meet the objectives of the company's project. They work with members of the sales team and/or marketing designers.
A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.
Contract designers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $58,458 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $86,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a contract designer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Contract Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between contract designers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Contract Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |