Mechanical contractor vs senior mechanical engineer

The differences between mechanical contractors and senior mechanical 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 senior mechanical engineer. Additionally, a senior mechanical engineer has an average salary of $103,836, 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 senior mechanical engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and solidworks.

Mechanical contractor vs senior mechanical engineer overview

	Mechanical Contractor	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Yearly salary	$72,882	$103,836
Hourly rate	$35.04	$49.92
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	28,897	98,063
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	6	6

Mechanical contractor vs senior mechanical engineer salary

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

	Mechanical Contractor	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Average salary	$72,882	$103,836
Salary range	Between $53,000 And $100,000	Between $79,000 And $136,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Google
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between mechanical contractor and senior mechanical engineer education

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

	Mechanical Contractor	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Michigan Technological University	Michigan Technological University

Mechanical contractor vs senior mechanical engineer demographics

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

	Mechanical Contractor	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7%	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
Race ratio	Black 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, 8.3% Asian, 15.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between mechanical contractor and senior mechanical 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.

Senior mechanical engineer example responsibilities.

Create DFMEA documents to help manage risks and improve initial quality.
Set up and manage PCB manufacturing including all chemical baths, lasers, and exposure equipment.
Restructure VHDL code and chip/module hierarchy to achieve timing goals for the dual cache controller and the chip.
Achieve timely convergence of complex designs by building RTL models from validation area and integrating them, before official model release.
Lead FPGA development of key digital communication component used in successful demonstration of spacecraft radio link.
Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.

Mechanical contractor vs senior mechanical engineer skills

Common mechanical contractor skills

Plumbing, 14%
CAD, 9%
Preventive Maintenance, 8%
Mechanical Systems, 7%
Ice Machines, 4%
Heat Pumps, 4%

Common senior mechanical engineer skills

Mechanical Engineering, 15%
CAD, 7%
Solidworks, 7%
Mechanical Design, 5%
Mechanical Systems, 5%
HVAC, 4%

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Mechanical Contractor vs Senior Mechanical Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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