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The differences between lead piping designers 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 lead piping designer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a lead piping designer has an average salary of $111,648, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for a lead piping designer include autocad, equipment layout and p id. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Lead Piping Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,648 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $53.68 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 49,802 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A lead piping designer is primarily in charge of designing and drafting plans and layouts for developing and constructing pipe systems for water, gas, oil, petroleum, or sewage. Their job entails conducting extensive research and assessments, gathering and analyzing data, utilizing tools and software, coordinating with experts, and creating models for approval. Additionally, as a lead designer, it is essential to coordinate and lead junior designers in a joint effort to complete project goals while adhering to safety standards, policies, and regulations.
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.
Lead piping designers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Piping Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,648 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $158,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead piping designer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Piping Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lead piping designers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Lead Piping Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.3% 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% |