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The differences between laser engineers and mechanical design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a laser engineer, becoming a mechanical design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a laser engineer has an average salary of $85,319, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for a laser engineer include MATLAB, data collection and labview. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Laser Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,319 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $41.02 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 4,901 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A laser engineer is one who specializes in making and developing laser devices or machines that is for laser purposes. They supervises the laser team in operating and ensuring that all laser-related equipment is functioning well. They can also specialize in doing advanced optics or optic devices. Their responsibilities include the regular monitoring and optimization of laser outputs as well as finding out a reasonable solution on how to handles laser issues that will be arising.
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.
Laser engineers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laser Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,319 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $116,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Booz Allen Hamilton | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a laser engineer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Laser Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Physics | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between laser engineers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Laser Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 18.0% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |