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The differences between mechanical systems engineers and system design engineers 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 systems engineer, becoming a system design engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, 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 system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,387 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $41.05 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 158,980 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Mechanical systems engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,387 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a mechanical systems engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between mechanical systems engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |