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The differences between mechanical development engineers and structures 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 structures engineer. Additionally, a mechanical development engineer has an average salary of $91,933, which is higher than the $73,391 average annual salary of a structures engineer.
The top three skills for a mechanical development engineer include CAD, solidworks and FEA. The most important skills for a structures engineer are structural analysis, revit, and RISA.
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,933 | $73,391 |
| Hourly rate | $44.20 | $35.28 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 147,373 | 20,778 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 structures engineer works in designing, planning, and overseeing the development of the latest buildings and bridges or modifications and extensions to an existing property or other structures. They are mainly concerned with the safety and capability of the structure to withstand the elements to which they will be exposed--also improving the existing building structural integrity. Part of the task is inspecting properties regarding the conditions/foundation and checking work undertaken by contractors. The job is very similarly related to a civil engineer.
Mechanical development engineers and structures engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,933 | $73,391 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $121,000 | Between $54,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a mechanical development engineer and a structures engineer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between mechanical development engineers' and structures engineers' demographics:
| Mechanical Development Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1% |
| 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, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.3% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |