Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead mechanical engineers and project lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a lead mechanical engineer, becoming a project lead engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $94,184 average annual salary of a lead mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a lead mechanical engineer include mechanical engineering, CAD and solidworks. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,184 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $45.28 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 87,974 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A lead mechanical engineer is responsible for overseeing the overall project development processes, analyzing blueprints and specifications, and designing system models according to clients' requirements and budget limitations. Lead mechanical engineers inspect the efficiency of tools and materials and perform multiple diagnostic tests and quality checks to ensure the stability of the products for client satisfaction. They also guide the junior engineers in the integration of resources, as well as writing progress reports for the team's calibration.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Lead mechanical engineers and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,184 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead mechanical engineer and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between lead mechanical engineers' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 12.8% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |