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The differences between mechanical development engineers and 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 development engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a mechanical development engineer has an average salary of $91,933, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a mechanical development engineer include CAD, solidworks and FEA. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,933 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $44.20 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 147,373 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mechanical development engineer plans and designs tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. They perform duties such as overseeing the installation, operation, maintenance and repair of equipment and systems. They also produce specifications for new or modified systems. They supervise design engineering for a variety of facilities, and they coordinate the construction, assembly, and testing of equipment and systems.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Mechanical development engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,933 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $121,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a mechanical development engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between mechanical development engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 15.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |