Mechanical engineering internship vs senior mechanical designer

The differences between mechanical engineering interns and senior mechanical designers 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 engineering internship and a senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior mechanical designer has an average salary of $103,765, which is higher than the $42,749 average annual salary of a mechanical engineering internship.

The top three skills for a mechanical engineering internship include solidworks, powerpoint and mechanical design. The most important skills for a senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.

Mechanical engineering internship vs senior mechanical designer overview

	Mechanical Engineering Internship	Senior Mechanical Designer
Yearly salary	$42,749	$103,765
Hourly rate	$20.55	$49.89
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	115,512	71,958
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	6	6

What does a mechanical engineering internship do?

One of the primary responsibilities in a mechanical engineering internship is to follow directives from engineers and managers while gaining practical experience. There are instances when an intern must take part in crafting various materials under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, produce reports and paperwork, operate tools and devices, and provide assistance should anyone need. Furthermore, it is essential to report to managers and supervisors if any issues arise.

What does a senior mechanical designer do?

A Senior Mechanical Designer is responsible for creating effective mechanical designs for their company and developing mechanical concepts in accordance with project requirements. They assist the engineering manager in coaching other mechanical engineers to develop design skills.

Mechanical engineering internship vs senior mechanical designer salary

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

	Mechanical Engineering Internship	Senior Mechanical Designer
Average salary	$42,749	$103,765
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $54,000	Between $81,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Illinois	California
Best paying company	CDM Smith	Google
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Automotive

Differences between mechanical engineering internship and senior mechanical designer education

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

	Mechanical Engineering Internship	Senior Mechanical Designer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Michigan Technological University	Carnegie Mellon University

Mechanical engineering internship vs senior mechanical designer demographics

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

	Mechanical Engineering Internship	Senior Mechanical Designer
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8%	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 11.4% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between mechanical engineering internship and senior mechanical designer duties and responsibilities

Mechanical engineering internship example responsibilities.

Programme VBA tool to organize and manage operator-supply production data into a comprehensive data set.
Develop design specifications, implement RTL, generate simulation models, test benches, design software and documentation.
Remodel PERL scripts to test DLL, PLL, USB, EFUSE, SERDES.
Check design package and concept drawings of Jr.
Develop python script functions for SBTS to find electrical shortages.
Design heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for new and remodel buildings.

Senior mechanical designer example responsibilities.

Lead FPGA development of key digital communication component used in successful demonstration of spacecraft radio link.
Create and modify very large assemblies in Creo which are used to create drawings for top level spacecraft assemblies.
Generate fabrication and assembly drawings for fabrication of commercial/Industrial water heaters and boilers base on ISO 9000 and AWA standards.
Perform complex interference fit checks, motion studies, and tolerance stack-up analysis on large assemblies using Pro/E - Creo software.
Verify all design factors including performance, tolerances, fitting, materials, surface finish and BOM for components and systems.
Improve dynamic response of microscope using ANSYS vibration simulation.

Mechanical engineering internship vs senior mechanical designer skills

Common mechanical engineering internship skills

Solidworks, 15%
PowerPoint, 5%
Mechanical Design, 5%
Mechanical Systems, 4%
Revit, 4%
Auto CAD, 4%

Common senior mechanical designer skills

CAD, 12%
Mechanical Design, 11%
GD, 5%
Creo, 5%
Autocad, 4%
FEA, 4%

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Mechanical Engineering Internship vs Senior Mechanical Designer

Updated January 8, 2025

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