Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between design engineers 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 design engineer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a design engineer has an average salary of $77,134, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for a design engineer include C++, UL and project management. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,134 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 138,173 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
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.
Design engineers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,134 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a design engineer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | 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 design engineers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% 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% |