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Mechatronics engineer vs mechanical designer

The differences between mechatronics 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 mechatronics engineer and a mechanical designer. Additionally, a mechatronics engineer has an average salary of $75,419, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.

The top three skills for a mechatronics engineer include mechatronics, python and solidworks. The most important skills for a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.

Mechatronics engineer vs mechanical designer overview

Mechatronics EngineerMechanical Designer
Yearly salary$75,419$62,541
Hourly rate$36.26$30.07
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs82,41465,748
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Associate Degree, 51%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a mechatronics engineer do?

A mechatronics engineer specializes in designing and developing mechanical systems to produce different products, ensuring quality and smooth workflow. They may also assess existing systems and implement improvements for optimal performance. Typically, a mechatronics engineer's responsibilities revolve around devising test structures to identify any vulnerabilities in the machines, performing regular maintenance checks to ensure safety and efficiency, and recommending solutions to improve other facilities. Furthermore, they may also conduct research and analysis, prepare progress reports and presentations, and participate in training new members of the workforce.

What does a mechanical designer do?

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.

Mechatronics engineer vs mechanical designer salary

Mechatronics engineers and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mechatronics EngineerMechanical Designer
Average salary$75,419$62,541
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $116,000Between $46,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMassachusetts
Best paying companyMetaApple
Best paying industryTechnologyEnergy

Differences between mechatronics engineer and mechanical designer education

There are a few differences between a mechatronics engineer and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:

Mechatronics EngineerMechanical Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Associate Degree, 51%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringDrafting And Design
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Mechatronics engineer vs mechanical designer demographics

Here are the differences between mechatronics engineers' and mechanical designers' demographics:

Mechatronics EngineerMechanical Designer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 85.4% Female, 14.6%Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% 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 Percentage5%5%

Differences between mechatronics engineer and mechanical designer duties and responsibilities

Mechatronics engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage engineering standards, engineering specifications, NEC, NFPA, and scheduling projects.
  • Redesign ovens to take advantage of laser cutter for jig-less production using tab and slot method.
  • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
  • Implement PID cruise control and precision direction control in LabVIEW.
  • Construct Simulink control architecture for brake control, and own the design control for the research project.
  • Install and repair servo and variable frequency drives and PLC s as well as programming, debugging, and enhancements.
  • Show more

Mechanical designer example responsibilities.

  • Work with JPL / NASA packaging and fabrication engineering leads (on-site).
  • Manage documentation of existing projects, perform ECN resolutions.
  • Produce REVIT models for the mechanical department o HVAC sheet metal and HVAC piping.
  • Develop company's AutoCAD customize menu, prepare cad department logistics, organize and staff cad department.
  • Apply mechanical engineering design and manufacturing expertise to develop MR and XR medical imaging devices utilizing AutoCAD.
  • Experience with ASME and ANSI codes.
  • Show more

Mechatronics engineer vs mechanical designer skills

Common mechatronics engineer skills
  • Mechatronics, 21%
  • Python, 7%
  • Solidworks, 7%
  • MATLAB, 5%
  • Simulink, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
Common mechanical designer skills
  • Mechanical Design, 8%
  • Revit, 7%
  • Auto CAD, 6%
  • HVAC, 5%
  • Engineering Drawings, 4%
  • Creo, 4%

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