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The differences between senior designers and mechanical designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior designer, becoming a mechanical designer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a senior designer include sketch, graphic design and human centered design. The most important skills for a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.
| Senior Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,058 | $62,541 |
| Hourly rate | $49.07 | $30.07 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 47,503 | 65,748 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
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.
Senior designers and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $102,058 | $62,541 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $143,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Media | Energy |
There are a few differences between a senior designer and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between senior designers' and mechanical designers' demographics:
| Senior Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 13% | 5% |