Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mechanical development engineers and staff 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 staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, 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 staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,933 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $44.20 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 147,373 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Mechanical development engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,933 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $121,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a mechanical development engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between mechanical development engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |