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The differences between contract designers and senior mechanical designers 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 senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior mechanical designer has an average salary of $103,765, 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 senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Contract Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,458 | $103,765 |
| Hourly rate | $28.10 | $49.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 51,980 | 71,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 Senior Mechanical Designer is responsible for creating effective mechanical designs for their company and developing mechanical concepts in accordance with project requirements. They assist the engineering manager in coaching other mechanical engineers to develop design skills.
Contract designers and senior mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $58,458 | $103,765 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $86,000 | Between $81,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a contract designer and a senior mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Contract Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between contract designers' and senior mechanical designers' demographics:
| Contract Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 11.4% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |