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What is a senior mechanical project engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.,
Brian Denton Ph.D.

Senior mechanical project engineers manage the development of a system or device from start to finish. This means they are involved in designing, creating, testing, and improving all aspects of the project, be it a machine, device, or mechanical system.

Upon closer inspection of their duties, a senior mechanical project engineer is in charge of analyzing potential problems in a design plan, allocating budget and other resources, delegating tasks to subordinates, developing prototypes, and communicating project updates to key stakeholders. As a senior employee, they may also guide lower-level engineers and conduct coaching when necessary.

The basic requirements for this role are a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and adequate experience in previous roles. However, certain licenses, certifications, and registrations may also be required. Furthermore, a candidate must display strong technical skills to qualify for this role, as well as an inclination for leadership and project management.

As a senior-level employee, senior mechanical project engineers earn an average of $107,000 a year, which may increase with additional experience and a proven track record of success.

What general advice would you give to a senior mechanical project engineer?

Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.Edoardo Sarda Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, Robotics Engineering, Lake Superior State University

Flexibility has become a key asset for new graduates, due to the current COVID19 pandemic. Fortunately, engineers are still in high demand. Even fresh graduates may need to seek opportunities and accept positions working in areas that were not exactly what they had in mind while in college. Besides, the pandemic has created a reality where specific industries are struggling while others are booming. That will undoubtedly impact the demand for new engineers. Lastly, since the United States took a non-uniform approach to fight the pandemic, where every state is independently deciding how to reopen, leading to some states being stricter than others, in addition to new epicenters forming in different areas of the country at different times, new grads may not necessarily end up in the geographical location they may have originally planned.
ScoreSenior Mechanical Project EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.6

Avg. Salary $84,631

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 15.00%

Black or African American 3.18%

Hispanic or Latino 8.34%

Unknown 4.54%

White 68.83%

Gender

female 5.84%

male 94.16%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Senior mechanical project engineer career paths

Key steps to become a senior mechanical project engineer

  1. Explore senior mechanical project engineer education requirements

    Most common senior mechanical project engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    76.0 %

    Master's

    16.3 %

    Associate

    5.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior mechanical project engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management8.37%
    CAD8.36%
    Solidworks8.21%
    HVAC6.76%
    Plumbing5.90%
  3. Complete relevant senior mechanical project engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior mechanical project engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior mechanical project engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior mechanical project engineer resumes.
  4. Research senior mechanical project engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
    • Integrate project lead (IPT) for service upgrades product development and implementation.
    • Generate project fees for HVAC work.
    • Contribute with significant NR engineering cost saving per FEA analysis.
  5. Get senior mechanical project engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior mechanical project engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior mechanical project engineer include mechanical engineer, senior mechanical engineer team lead and project engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior mechanical project engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior mechanical project engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior mechanical project engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior mechanical project engineer resume templates

    Build a professional senior mechanical project engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior mechanical project engineer resume.
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
    Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for senior mechanical project engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior mechanical project engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior mechanical project engineer job

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Average senior mechanical project engineer salary

The average senior mechanical project engineer salary in the United States is $84,631 per year or $41 per hour. Senior mechanical project engineer salaries range between $66,000 and $107,000 per year.

Average senior mechanical project engineer salary
$84,631 Yearly
$40.69 hourly

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How do senior mechanical project engineers rate their job?

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Senior mechanical project engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023
Pros

It can gurantee you a good salary and if you are creative you can do many things.

Cons

you have to be creative.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Cons

very little


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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