Mechanical designer vs senior mechanical engineer

The differences between mechanical designers and senior mechanical 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 senior mechanical engineer. Additionally, a senior mechanical engineer has an average salary of $103,836, 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 engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and solidworks.

Mechanical designer vs senior mechanical engineer overview

	Mechanical Designer	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Yearly salary	$62,541	$103,836
Hourly rate	$30.07	$49.92
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	65,748	98,063
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	6	6

What does a mechanical designer do?

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.

What does a senior mechanical engineer do?

A senior mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and improving mechanical equipment, as well as industrial devices and machinery. Senior mechanical engineers verify the materials and resources, ensuring that the processes meet the budget goals from clients' specifications and requirements. They also monitor the manufacturing process, developing strategic procedures for operations improvement, and maximizing staff productivity. A senior mechanical engineer runs multiple diagnostic tests to guarantee the stability and efficiency of the item and coordinating with the client for any plan adjustments as needed.

Mechanical designer vs senior mechanical engineer salary

Mechanical designers and senior mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Designer	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Average salary	$62,541	$103,836
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $83,000	Between $79,000 And $136,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Washington
Best paying company	Apple	Google
Best paying industry	Energy	Energy

Differences between mechanical designer and senior mechanical engineer education

There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and a senior mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:

	Mechanical Designer	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Michigan Technological University

Mechanical designer vs senior mechanical engineer demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and senior mechanical engineers' demographics:

	Mechanical Designer	Senior Mechanical Engineer
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
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, 8.3% Asian, 15.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between mechanical designer and senior mechanical engineer duties and responsibilities

Mechanical designer example responsibilities.

Work with JPL / NASA packaging and fabrication engineering leads (on-site).
Manage documentation of existing projects, perform ECN resolutions.
Produce REVIT models for the mechanical department o HVAC sheet metal and HVAC piping.
Develop company's AutoCAD customize menu, prepare cad department logistics, organize and staff cad department.
Apply mechanical engineering design and manufacturing expertise to develop MR and XR medical imaging devices utilizing AutoCAD.
Experience with ASME and ANSI codes.

Senior mechanical engineer example responsibilities.

Create DFMEA documents to help manage risks and improve initial quality.
Set up and manage PCB manufacturing including all chemical baths, lasers, and exposure equipment.
Restructure VHDL code and chip/module hierarchy to achieve timing goals for the dual cache controller and the chip.
Achieve timely convergence of complex designs by building RTL models from validation area and integrating them, before official model release.
Lead FPGA development of key digital communication component used in successful demonstration of spacecraft radio link.
Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.

Mechanical designer vs senior mechanical engineer skills

Common mechanical designer skills

Mechanical Design, 8%
Revit, 7%
Auto CAD, 6%
HVAC, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%
Creo, 4%

Common senior mechanical engineer skills

Mechanical Engineering, 15%
CAD, 7%
Solidworks, 7%
Mechanical Design, 5%
Mechanical Systems, 5%
HVAC, 4%

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Mechanical Designer vs Senior Mechanical Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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