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The differences between plumbing designers 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 plumbing designer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a mechanical design engineer has an average salary of $75,821, which is higher than the $61,468 average annual salary of a plumbing designer.
The top three skills for a plumbing designer include revit, plumbing and fire protection. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,468 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $29.55 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 44,975 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Plumbing Designers are responsible for developing plumbing and drainage systems for residential or commercial areas. Their duties include providing design specifications to clients, producing schematics, achieving key performance metrics, and conducting quality assurance assessments. They contribute technical content for marketing purposes, sourcing equipment, and guiding internal departments on installation procedures. Plumbing Designers also prepare client proposals, supervise junior staff, and provide staff training sessions.
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.
Plumbing designers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $61,468 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Belcan | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a plumbing designer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between plumbing designers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% 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% |