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The differences between machine designers and 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 machine designer and a mechanical designer. Additionally, a machine designer has an average salary of $69,937, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a machine designer include solidworks, machine design and autocad. The most important skills for a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,937 | $62,541 |
| Hourly rate | $33.62 | $30.07 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 81,897 | 65,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| 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 designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
Machine designers and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $69,937 | $62,541 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $100,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Ana, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Energy Inc. | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a machine designer and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between machine designers' and mechanical designers' demographics:
| Machine Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |