Model engine mechanic vs senior mechanical designer

The differences between model engine mechanics 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 model engine mechanic and a senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior mechanical designer has an average salary of $103,765, which is higher than the $76,923 average annual salary of a model engine mechanic.

The top three skills for a model engine mechanic include C++, linux and LS-DYNA. The most important skills for a senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.

Model engine mechanic vs senior mechanical designer overview

	Model Engine Mechanic	Senior Mechanical Designer
Yearly salary	$76,923	$103,765
Hourly rate	$36.98	$49.89
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	69,146	71,958
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	6	6

What does a model engine mechanic do?

A model engine mechanic repairs and deals with small engines that power machinery such as lawn mowers, chain saws, or recreational sporting equipment. They are responsible for diagnosing, adjusting and repairing machinery. They are also responsible for performing routine machinery maintenance, lubricating parts, reinstalling parts, and interacting with the client to explain equipment issues. For this position, they need a mechanics certification.

What does a senior mechanical designer do?

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.

Model engine mechanic vs senior mechanical designer salary

Model engine mechanics and senior mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Model Engine Mechanic	Senior Mechanical Designer
Average salary	$76,923	$103,765
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $105,000	Between $81,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Cornerstone Research	Google
Best paying industry	Technology	Automotive

Differences between model engine mechanic and senior mechanical designer education

There are a few differences between a model engine mechanic and a senior mechanical designer in terms of educational background:

	Model Engine Mechanic	Senior Mechanical Designer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Carnegie Mellon University

Model engine mechanic vs senior mechanical designer demographics

Here are the differences between model engine mechanics' and senior mechanical designers' demographics:

	Model Engine Mechanic	Senior Mechanical Designer
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4%	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 16.1% White, 67.8% 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%

Differences between model engine mechanic and senior mechanical designer duties and responsibilities

Model engine mechanic example responsibilities.

Manage automation projects including purchasing, scheduling fabrication and assembly, debugging, and delivery to customer.
Provide fundamental understanding of thermoacoustic mechanism and assistance to device prototyping design of glass incorporating thermoacoustics.
Develop the flow of the accurate timing model for Verilog simulations for more accurate simulations results using SiliconSmart and PrimeTime.
Develop the flow of the accurate timing model for Verilog simulations for more accurate simulations results using SiliconSmart and PrimeTime.

Senior mechanical designer example responsibilities.

Lead FPGA development of key digital communication component used in successful demonstration of spacecraft radio link.
Create and modify very large assemblies in Creo which are used to create drawings for top level spacecraft assemblies.
Generate fabrication and assembly drawings for fabrication of commercial/Industrial water heaters and boilers base on ISO 9000 and AWA standards.
Perform complex interference fit checks, motion studies, and tolerance stack-up analysis on large assemblies using Pro/E - Creo software.
Verify all design factors including performance, tolerances, fitting, materials, surface finish and BOM for components and systems.
Improve dynamic response of microscope using ANSYS vibration simulation.

Model engine mechanic vs senior mechanical designer skills

Common model engine mechanic skills

C++, 29%
Linux, 14%
LS-DYNA, 9%
Prototyping, 5%
In-House, 5%
CATIA, 4%

Common senior mechanical designer skills

CAD, 12%
Mechanical Design, 11%
GD, 5%
Creo, 5%
Autocad, 4%
FEA, 4%

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Model Engine Mechanic
Model Engine Mechanic vs Senior Mechanical Designer

Updated January 8, 2025

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