Mechanical engineering technologist vs senior engineering technician

The differences between mechanical engineering technologists and senior engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a mechanical engineering technologist, becoming a senior engineering technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior engineering technician has an average salary of $88,615, which is higher than the $57,409 average annual salary of a mechanical engineering technologist.

The top three skills for a mechanical engineering technologist include CAD, solidworks and prototype. The most important skills for a senior engineering technician are java, SR, and emerging technologies.

Mechanical engineering technologist vs senior engineering technician overview

	Mechanical Engineering Technologist	Senior Engineering Technician
Yearly salary	$57,409	$88,615
Hourly rate	$27.60	$42.60
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	120,125	94,734
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	4

What does a mechanical engineering technologist do?

A Mechanical Engineering Technologist is responsible for developing and assembling mechanical parts and components, following the head engineer's design specifications. They identify resources for manufacturing, ensuring that the deliverables follow the high-quality standards and requirements. They also analyze the design and recommend adjustments for outputs, if there are any. A Mechanical Engineering Technologist operates various mechanical tools and equipment to perform tasks efficiently, requiring strict adherence to the safety protocols and regulations within the operational premises.

What does a senior engineering technician do?

A Senior Engineering Technician uses the technical principles of engineering to create and develop a project or product. They also provide technical assistance to professional engineering staff on special projects.

Mechanical engineering technologist vs senior engineering technician salary

Mechanical engineering technologists and senior engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Engineering Technologist	Senior Engineering Technician
Average salary	$57,409	$88,615
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $76,000	Between $63,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Idaho
Best paying company	Apple	CrowdStrike
Best paying industry	Automotive	Energy

Differences between mechanical engineering technologist and senior engineering technician education

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

	Mechanical Engineering Technologist	Senior Engineering Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	Purdue University

Mechanical engineering technologist vs senior engineering technician demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical engineering technologists' and senior engineering technicians' demographics:

	Mechanical Engineering Technologist	Senior Engineering Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 11.3% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between mechanical engineering technologist and senior engineering technician duties and responsibilities

Mechanical engineering technologist example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate a company wide transition from 2D AutoCAD to a 3D modeling environment.
Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Test, troubleshoot, disassemble and repair mechanical equipment supporting the U.S. navy's MK30 underwater target program.
Certify parts and write reports to the ASME, ASTM, and CSA standards.
Circuit design and PCB layout.
Design of assembly jigs and fixtures.

Senior engineering technician example responsibilities.

Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Determine and insure how statistical process control (SPC) are performed, collect, and update.
Test equipment utilize included DMM's, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, waveform function generators, and signal generators.
Demonstrate expertise in analog and digital electronic circuit design.
Rework and diagnose SMT PCBs.
Implement native and HTML5 UI.

Mechanical engineering technologist vs senior engineering technician skills

Common mechanical engineering technologist skills

CAD, 8%
Solidworks, 7%
Prototype, 6%
Engineering Drawings, 5%
Hand Tools, 4%
Mechanical Systems, 4%

Common senior engineering technician skills

Java, 8%
SR, 5%
Emerging Technologies, 5%
Troubleshoot, 4%
Technical Support, 4%
Project Management, 4%

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Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Mechanical Engineering Technologist vs Senior Engineering Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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