Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mechanical designers and senior mechanical designers 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 senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior mechanical designer has an average salary of $103,765, 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 senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Mechanical Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,541 | $103,765 |
| Hourly rate | $30.07 | $49.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 65,748 | 71,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 Senior Mechanical Designer is responsible for creating effective mechanical designs for their company and developing mechanical concepts in accordance with project requirements. They assist the engineering manager in coaching other mechanical engineers to develop design skills.
Mechanical designers and senior mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $62,541 | $103,765 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $83,000 | Between $81,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and a senior mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and senior mechanical designers' demographics:
| Mechanical Designer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 11.4% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |