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The differences between lead mechanical engineers 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 lead mechanical engineer and a senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior mechanical designer has an average salary of $103,765, 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 senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,184 | $103,765 |
| Hourly rate | $45.28 | $49.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 87,974 | 71,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
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.
Lead mechanical engineers and senior mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $94,184 | $103,765 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $81,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead mechanical engineer and a senior mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between lead mechanical engineers' and senior mechanical designers' demographics:
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| 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, 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% |