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The differences between senior mechanical designers and lead 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 senior mechanical designer and a lead design engineer. Additionally, a lead design engineer has an average salary of $108,490, which is higher than the $103,765 average annual salary of a senior mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a senior mechanical designer include CAD, mechanical design and GD. The most important skills for a lead design engineer are CAD, project management, and lead design.
| Senior Mechanical Designer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,765 | $108,490 |
| Hourly rate | $49.89 | $52.16 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 71,958 | 118,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Mechanical Designer is responsible for creating effective mechanical designs for their company and developing mechanical concepts in accordance with project requirements. They assist the engineering manager in coaching other mechanical engineers to develop design skills.
A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
Senior mechanical designers and lead design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Mechanical Designer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,765 | $108,490 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $131,000 | Between $82,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between a senior mechanical designer and a lead design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Mechanical Designer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior mechanical designers' and lead design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Mechanical Designer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 11.4% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |