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The differences between plumbing designers 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 plumbing designer and a mechanical designer. Additionally, a mechanical designer has an average salary of $62,541, 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 designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,468 | $62,541 |
| Hourly rate | $29.55 | $30.07 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 44,975 | 65,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| 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 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.
Plumbing designers and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $61,468 | $62,541 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Belcan | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Energy |
There are a few differences between a plumbing designer and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between plumbing designers' and mechanical designers' demographics:
| Plumbing Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |