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The differences between piping engineers and mechanical design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a piping engineer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a piping engineer has an average salary of $107,432, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for a piping engineer include CAD, engineering design and API. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Piping Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,432 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $51.65 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 89,017 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Piping engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for the creation of piping systems that transport materials such as oil, gas, water, and waste from one location to another. These engineers are required to draw the blueprints for the system and then assist in selecting materials that are used to build the pipes and other piping components. They must travel to the installation site of the piping system and conduct surveys on the land for any irregularities. Piping engineers must also participate in cost management meetings with decision-makers to ensure proper budget allocation for the project.
A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.
Piping engineers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Piping Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,432 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $153,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Acme Cryogenics | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a piping engineer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Piping Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between piping engineers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Piping Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |