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Mechanical contractor vs mechanical designer

The differences between mechanical contractors 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 mechanical contractor and a mechanical designer. Additionally, a mechanical contractor has an average salary of $72,882, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.

The top three skills for a mechanical contractor include plumbing, CAD and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical designer overview

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Designer
Yearly salary$72,882$62,541
Hourly rate$35.04$30.07
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs28,89765,748
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Associate Degree, 51%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical designer salary

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

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Designer
Average salary$72,882$62,541
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $100,000Between $46,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between mechanical contractor and mechanical designer education

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

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Associate Degree, 51%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringDrafting And Design
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical designer demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical contractors' and mechanical designers' demographics:

Mechanical ContractorMechanical Designer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 90.3% Female, 9.7%Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between mechanical contractor and mechanical designer 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.
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Mechanical designer example responsibilities.

  • Work with JPL / NASA packaging and fabrication engineering leads (on-site).
  • Manage documentation of existing projects, perform ECN resolutions.
  • Produce REVIT models for the mechanical department o HVAC sheet metal and HVAC piping.
  • Develop company's AutoCAD customize menu, prepare cad department logistics, organize and staff cad department.
  • Apply mechanical engineering design and manufacturing expertise to develop MR and XR medical imaging devices utilizing AutoCAD.
  • Experience with ASME and ANSI codes.
  • Show more

Mechanical contractor vs mechanical designer skills

Common mechanical contractor skills
  • Plumbing, 14%
  • CAD, 9%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 8%
  • Mechanical Systems, 7%
  • Ice Machines, 4%
  • Heat Pumps, 4%
Common mechanical designer skills
  • Mechanical Design, 8%
  • Revit, 7%
  • Auto CAD, 6%
  • HVAC, 5%
  • Engineering Drawings, 4%
  • Creo, 4%

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