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The differences between principal mechanical engineers and tool 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 tool engineer. Additionally, a principal mechanical engineer has an average salary of $102,451, which is higher than the $101,135 average annual salary of a tool engineer.
The top three skills for a principal mechanical engineer include mechanical engineering, CAD and mechanical design. The most important skills for a tool engineer are python, java, and CAD.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,451 | $101,135 |
| Hourly rate | $49.26 | $48.62 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,517 | 98,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
Principal mechanical engineers and tool engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,451 | $101,135 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $133,000 | Between $75,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal mechanical engineer and a tool engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 tool engineers' demographics:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |