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The differences between mechanical designers and industrial 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 industrial designer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an industrial designer has an average salary of $63,384, 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 industrial designer are industrial design, solidworks, and CAD.
| Mechanical Designer | Industrial Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,541 | $63,384 |
| Hourly rate | $30.07 | $30.47 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 65,748 | 54,012 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
Industrial Designers work with clients to conceptualize product ideas. They collaborate with clients in creating product blueprints, samples, and mock-ups. Industrial Designers create drafts based on the clients' ideas, keeping in mind the different requirements as well as aesthetic qualities that the clients envision. They usually specialize in a specific product category such as toys, furniture, and cars, among others. Industrial Designers also collaborate with other professionals such as manufacturers, materials experts, safety experts, and other product makers to ensure the feasibility and the product safety of the concepts they come up with.
Mechanical designers and industrial designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Designer | Industrial Designer | |
| Average salary | $62,541 | $63,384 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $83,000 | Between $43,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and an industrial designer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Designer | Industrial Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and industrial designers' demographics:
| Mechanical Designer | Industrial Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| 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, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |