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The differences between machine 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 machine designer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a mechanical design engineer has an average salary of $75,821, 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 mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,937 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $33.62 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 81,897 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 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.
Machine designers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $69,937 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $100,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Ana, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Energy Inc. | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a machine designer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | 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 machine designers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| 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, 16.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |