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The differences between principal mechanical 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 principal mechanical engineer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a principal mechanical engineer has an average salary of $102,451, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for a principal mechanical engineer include mechanical engineering, CAD and mechanical design. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,451 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $49.26 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,517 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A principal mechanical engineer is responsible for managing and maintaining the company's machinery, designing equipment that would support the business functions and operations efficiently, and inspecting tools for production processes. Principal mechanical engineers assist the work of junior engineers in manufacturing operations and resolving issues and tickets. They also conduct quality check procedures for the outputs, identify areas of improvement, and identify opportunities that would help the business grow more revenues and increase the company's profitability.
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.
Principal mechanical engineers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,451 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $133,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal mechanical engineer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | 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 principal mechanical engineers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.7% White, 68.2% 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% |