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The differences between machine designers and senior 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 senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, 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 senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Machine Designer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,937 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $33.62 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 81,897 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
Machine designers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Machine Designer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $69,937 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $100,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Ana, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Energy Inc. | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a machine designer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Machine Designer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior design engineers' demographics:
| Machine Designer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |