Mechanical design technician vs chief engineer

The differences between mechanical design technicians and chief 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 design technician and a chief engineer. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $60,714 average annual salary of a mechanical design technician.

The top three skills for a mechanical design technician include CAD, revit and fire protection. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.

Mechanical design technician vs chief engineer overview

	Mechanical Design Technician	Chief Engineer
Yearly salary	$60,714	$108,050
Hourly rate	$29.19	$51.95
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	62,685	88,473
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	6	6

Mechanical design technician vs chief engineer salary

Mechanical design technicians and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Design Technician	Chief Engineer
Average salary	$60,714	$108,050
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $77,000	Between $65,000 And $177,000
Highest paying City	-	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	BGC Partners
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between mechanical design technician and chief engineer education

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

	Mechanical Design Technician	Chief Engineer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	Michigan Technological University

Mechanical design technician vs chief engineer demographics

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

	Mechanical Design Technician	Chief Engineer
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between mechanical design technician and chief engineer duties and responsibilities

Mechanical design technician example responsibilities.

Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
Design and model changes to drawings for support of fabrication and installation of HVAC, plumbing and major commercial/industrial/residential pipe systems.
Engineer air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration, plumbing, and electrical power supply for renovate building spaces.
Convert and clean-up architectural background drawings and establish mechanical and plumbing drawings.
Create BOM for the lines; compose design documentation utilizing technical drawings and engineering specifications.
Design and manufacture documentation for custom smart power distribution products including customer specifications and vendor BOM's.

Chief engineer example responsibilities.

Lead SQL performance overhaul for SaaS web applications.
Manage A/E design contracts, evaluate cost proposals and provide construction inspection.
Maintain HVAC/R equipment and kitchen equipment throughout a number of different properties that LPC manages.
Manage staff, contracts, vendor relations, bids, projects, RFP's and negotiations.
Co-Authore OSHA VPP application and lead ongoing safety training and documentation administration.
Initiate and manage several CMMS programs for productivity and inventory control programs.

Mechanical design technician vs chief engineer skills

Common mechanical design technician skills

CAD, 17%
Revit, 10%
Fire Protection, 9%
Solidworks, 8%
Assembly Drawings, 6%
BIM, 6%

Common chief engineer skills

HVAC, 12%
Plumbing, 10%
Customer Service, 7%
Life Safety Systems, 4%
Boilers, 4%
Ladders, 3%

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Mechanical Design Technician
Mechanical Design Technician vs Chief Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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