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The differences between mechanical designers and product design 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 designer and a product design engineer. Additionally, a product design engineer has an average salary of $94,827, 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 a product design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Mechanical Designer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,541 | $94,827 |
| Hourly rate | $30.07 | $45.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 65,748 | 170,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A Product Design Engineer designs new products that customers will want to purchase. They are responsible for designing, modeling, and testing prototypes for products.
Mechanical designers and product design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Designer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $62,541 | $94,827 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $83,000 | Between $69,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and a product design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Designer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and product design engineers' demographics:
| Mechanical Designer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.2% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |