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The differences between senior mechanical project engineers and project lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior mechanical project engineer, becoming a project lead engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $84,631 average annual salary of a senior mechanical project engineer.
The top three skills for a senior mechanical project engineer include project management, CAD and solidworks. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Senior Mechanical Project Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,631 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $40.69 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 101,563 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A senior mechanical project engineer designs, researches, builds, tests, and improves systems, equipment, electrical devices, and mechanical devices. They design various machines such as engines, turbines, and generators using CAD software. They develop design prototypes, allocate time and resources as needed, and evaluate data to create reports. These professionals communicate with clients, directors, and staff and attend meetings to provide inputs and updates. Moreover, senior mechanical project engineers deliver safe and useful products within budget and on time.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Senior mechanical project engineers and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Mechanical Project Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,631 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $107,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior mechanical project engineer and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Mechanical Project Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior mechanical project engineers' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Senior Mechanical Project Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.0% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |