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Mechanical contractor vs mechanical design engineer

The differences between mechanical contractors 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 mechanical contractor and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a mechanical design engineer has an average salary of $75,821, which is higher than the $72,882 average annual salary of a mechanical contractor.

The top three skills for a mechanical contractor include plumbing, CAD and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical design engineer overview

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Design Engineer
Yearly salary$72,882$75,821
Hourly rate$35.04$36.45
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs28,897120,258
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical design engineer salary

Mechanical contractors and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Design Engineer
Average salary$72,882$75,821
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $100,000Between $59,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Automotive

Differences between mechanical contractor and mechanical design engineer education

There are a few differences between a mechanical contractor and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Design Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical design engineer demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical contractors' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Design Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 90.3% Female, 9.7%Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.2% 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 Percentage5%5%

Differences between mechanical contractor and mechanical design engineer duties and responsibilities

Mechanical contractor example responsibilities.

  • Lead all CFD and FEA (shock and vibration) efforts, including product-performance optimization and impact of DFMA.
  • Lead weekly toolbox safety meetings, and monitor work to ensure full compliance with OSHA / HAZWHOPPER compliance requirements.
  • Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures.
  • Perform service calls on all types of heating and a/c equipment.
  • Service A/C units up to 40 ton.
  • Install 2 to 4 PVC and CPVC piping for wastes off of equipment.
  • Show more

Mechanical design engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage installation and troubleshooting documents for ultra precision CNC grinding machines.
  • Manage the successful release to manufacturing of several generations of Ethernet switches.
  • Engineer, manage and implement configuration and installation of complex Ethernet network backbones.
  • Manage automation projects including purchasing, scheduling fabrication and assembly, debugging, and delivery to customer.
  • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
  • Supervise product development in coherence with UL standards and manufacturers.
  • Show more

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical design engineer skills

Common mechanical contractor skills
  • Plumbing, 14%
  • CAD, 9%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 8%
  • Mechanical Systems, 7%
  • Ice Machines, 4%
  • Heat Pumps, 4%
Common mechanical design engineer skills
  • CAD, 14%
  • Mechanical Design, 12%
  • GD, 5%
  • Creo, 5%
  • FEA, 4%
  • UL, 3%

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