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The differences between machine designers and 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 machine designer and a design engineer. Additionally, a design engineer has an average salary of $77,134, which is higher than the $69,937 average annual salary of a machine designer.
The top three skills for a machine designer include solidworks, machine design and autocad. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Machine Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,937 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $33.62 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 81,897 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mechanical designer creates and draws different designs for pieces of machinery and other equipment. They are often patterned with engineers and other related professionals to create a variety of types of machinery. Typically they work in an office setting, with the majority at architecture, manufacturing, and engineering firms. They may also be the person who develops and provides layout designs for customers and clients. A person who is creative, has a background in product development, and possesses analytic skills may be a great fit for the job.
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.
Machine designers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Machine Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $69,937 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $100,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Ana, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Energy Inc. | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a machine designer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Machine Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between machine designers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Machine Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |