Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mechanical designers and electrical designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a mechanical designer, becoming an electrical designer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an electrical designer has an average salary of $64,930, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a mechanical designer include mechanical design, revit and auto cad. The most important skills for an electrical designer are revit, electrical design, and autocad electrical.
| Mechanical Designer | Electrical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,541 | $64,930 |
| Hourly rate | $30.07 | $31.22 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 65,748 | 82,332 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings. The position requires good initiative, writing, speaking, and mathematical skills to accomplish such responsibilities. The job's education requirements include possessing a college degree in electrical engineering, design, or a related field.
Mechanical designers and electrical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Designer | Electrical Designer | |
| Average salary | $62,541 | $64,930 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $83,000 | Between $47,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Amd |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and an electrical designer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Designer | Electrical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and electrical designers' demographics:
| Mechanical Designer | Electrical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |