Mechanical design technician vs mechanical engineering technologist

The differences between mechanical design technicians and mechanical engineering technologists 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 mechanical engineering technologist. Additionally, a mechanical design technician has an average salary of $60,714, which is higher than the $57,409 average annual salary of a mechanical engineering technologist.

The top three skills for a mechanical design technician include CAD, revit and fire protection. The most important skills for a mechanical engineering technologist are CAD, solidworks, and prototype.

Mechanical design technician vs mechanical engineering technologist overview

	Mechanical Design Technician	Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Yearly salary	$60,714	$57,409
Hourly rate	$29.19	$27.60
Growth rate	2%	3%
Number of jobs	62,685	120,125
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	41	45
Years of experience	6	6

Mechanical design technician vs mechanical engineering technologist salary

Mechanical design technicians and mechanical engineering technologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Design Technician	Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Average salary	$60,714	$57,409
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $77,000	Between $43,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between mechanical design technician and mechanical engineering technologist education

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

	Mechanical Design Technician	Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Mechanical design technician vs mechanical engineering technologist demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical design technicians' and mechanical engineering technologists' demographics:

	Mechanical Design Technician	Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Average age	41	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
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, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between mechanical design technician and mechanical engineering technologist 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.

Mechanical engineering technologist example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate a company wide transition from 2D AutoCAD to a 3D modeling environment.
Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Test, troubleshoot, disassemble and repair mechanical equipment supporting the U.S. navy's MK30 underwater target program.
Certify parts and write reports to the ASME, ASTM, and CSA standards.
Circuit design and PCB layout.
Design of assembly jigs and fixtures.

Mechanical design technician vs mechanical engineering technologist skills

Common mechanical design technician skills

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

Common mechanical engineering technologist skills

CAD, 8%
Solidworks, 7%
Prototype, 6%
Engineering Drawings, 5%
Hand Tools, 4%
Mechanical Systems, 4%

Mechanical Design Technician vs. similar jobs

Mechanical Design Technician related careers

Mechanical Design Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Architecture and Engineering Industry
Mechanical Design Technician
Mechanical Design Technician vs Mechanical Engineering Technologist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs