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Mechanical development engineer vs senior mechanical engineer

The differences between mechanical development engineers 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 development engineer and a senior mechanical engineer. Additionally, a senior mechanical engineer has an average salary of $103,836, which is higher than the $91,933 average annual salary of a mechanical development engineer.

The top three skills for a mechanical development engineer include CAD, solidworks and FEA. The most important skills for a senior mechanical engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and solidworks.

Mechanical development engineer vs senior mechanical engineer overview

Mechanical Development EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Yearly salary$91,933$103,836
Hourly rate$44.20$49.92
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs147,37398,063
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a mechanical development engineer do?

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.

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 development engineer vs senior mechanical engineer salary

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

Mechanical Development EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Average salary$91,933$103,836
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $121,000Between $79,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CityOakland, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyAmazonGoogle
Best paying industryTechnologyEnergy

Differences between mechanical development engineer and senior mechanical engineer education

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

Mechanical Development EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Mechanical development engineer vs senior mechanical engineer demographics

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

Mechanical Development EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 89.3% Female, 10.7%Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.3% Asian, 15.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between mechanical development engineer and senior mechanical engineer duties and responsibilities

Mechanical development engineer example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage the first BOM and release management process for communicating and tracking build changes/status with global factories.
  • Manage design control including FMEA risk analysis, surgeon clinical input documentation, design verification and validation activities.
  • Verify designs and concepts by testing finish product and system capabilities using computer base FEA , 3D printing/component prototyping.
  • Specialize in product development services utilizing SolidWorks.
  • Design and validate 3D-2D parts, manufacturing drawings, assemblies, BOM using SolidWorks.
  • Compose and implement an automate MATLAB computing script to improve data processing time and efficiency.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Mechanical development engineer vs senior mechanical engineer skills

Common mechanical development engineer skills
  • CAD, 11%
  • Solidworks, 9%
  • FEA, 5%
  • Product Design, 5%
  • R, 4%
  • Mechanical Design, 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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