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The differences between mechanical field engineers and 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 field engineer and a mechanical designer. Additionally, a mechanical field engineer has an average salary of $82,132, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a mechanical field engineer include troubleshoot, outage and gas turbines. The most important skills for a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.
| Mechanical Field Engineer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,132 | $62,541 |
| Hourly rate | $39.49 | $30.07 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 115,757 | 65,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mechanical field engineer is an engineering professional who works on-site on a variety of projects. The responsibilities of this position are inspecting and installing equipment, conducting research, reporting project status, and resolving on-site malfunctions. They also perform administrative tasks, create reports, and ensure adherence to client specifications.
A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
Mechanical field engineers and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Field Engineer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $82,132 | $62,541 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $111,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a mechanical field engineer and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Field Engineer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between mechanical field engineers' and mechanical designers' demographics:
| Mechanical Field Engineer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |