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The differences between mechanical systems engineers 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 systems engineer and a senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior mechanical designer has an average salary of $103,765, which is higher than the $85,387 average annual salary of a mechanical systems engineer.
The top three skills for a mechanical systems engineer include mechanical systems, CAD and system design. The most important skills for a senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,387 | $103,765 |
| Hourly rate | $41.05 | $49.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 158,980 | 71,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mechanical systems engineer is responsible for designing tools and equipment, overseeing manufacturing processes, and running quality checks on the products to ensure adherence to business requirements and guidelines. Mechanical systems engineers analyze blueprints and specifications to recommend cost-reduction techniques and materials for production. They also inspect the operating systems and performance of equipment, resolving machinery failures, and modifying designs to improve feasibility. A mechanical systems engineer must have excellent technical and organizational skills, especially on researching current trends to identify opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profits.
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 systems engineers and senior mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $85,387 | $103,765 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $81,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a mechanical systems engineer and a senior mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between mechanical systems engineers' and senior mechanical designers' demographics:
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 12.8% White, 70.3% 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% |