Post job

Senior project engineer vs senior mechanical engineer

The differences between senior project engineers and senior mechanical 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 project engineer and a senior mechanical engineer. Additionally, a senior mechanical engineer has an average salary of $103,836, which is higher than the $97,803 average annual salary of a senior project engineer.

The top three skills for a senior project engineer include project management, construction management and CAD. The most important skills for a senior mechanical engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and solidworks.

Senior project engineer vs senior mechanical engineer overview

Senior Project EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Yearly salary$97,803$103,836
Hourly rate$47.02$49.92
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs146,83898,063
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a senior project engineer do?

A senior project engineer is responsible for monitoring the project team's overall process and operations from conceptualization until completion, ensuring the adherence to the clients' specifications, within the budget's goals, and the required deadline. Senior project engineers regularly communicate with the client regarding updates or necessary adjustments. They develop strategic procedures to finish the project efficiently by running diagnostic tests and troubleshooting discrepancies. A senior project engineer must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the team's performance and provide assistance when necessary.

What does a senior mechanical engineer do?

A senior mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and improving mechanical equipment, as well as industrial devices and machinery. Senior mechanical engineers verify the materials and resources, ensuring that the processes meet the budget goals from clients' specifications and requirements. They also monitor the manufacturing process, developing strategic procedures for operations improvement, and maximizing staff productivity. A senior mechanical engineer runs multiple diagnostic tests to guarantee the stability and efficiency of the item and coordinating with the client for any plan adjustments as needed.

Senior project engineer vs senior mechanical engineer salary

Senior project engineers and senior mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Project EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Average salary$97,803$103,836
Salary rangeBetween $77,000 And $124,000Between $79,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMarylandWashington
Best paying companyAmazonGoogle
Best paying industryAutomotiveEnergy

Differences between senior project engineer and senior mechanical engineer education

There are a few differences between a senior project engineer and a senior mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:

Senior Project EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Senior project engineer vs senior mechanical engineer demographics

Here are the differences between senior project engineers' and senior mechanical engineers' demographics:

Senior Project EngineerSenior Mechanical Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 84.4% Female, 15.6%Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between senior project engineer and senior mechanical engineer duties and responsibilities

Senior project engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage offshore-onsite deliveries in the SharePoint, .Net, EMC Documentum environments and best practices.
  • Design and manage a quality management system for the company's dealer franchise network so dealers can become ISO certify.
  • Lead development of PC software design to enhance dealer sales effectiveness and ability to demonstrate superior product value for the customer.
  • Design and manage retrofits for HVAC system and fire protection program for nuclear pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
  • Manage multiple crews for installation, implementation and service of RF and telecommunications systems throughout Florida.
  • Manage the manufacturing of defense and aerospace electro-mechanical print circuit boards from prototype to production level.
  • Show more

Senior mechanical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Create DFMEA documents to help manage risks and improve initial quality.
  • Set up and manage PCB manufacturing including all chemical baths, lasers, and exposure equipment.
  • Restructure VHDL code and chip/module hierarchy to achieve timing goals for the dual cache controller and the chip.
  • Achieve timely convergence of complex designs by building RTL models from validation area and integrating them, before official model release.
  • Lead FPGA development of key digital communication component used in successful demonstration of spacecraft radio link.
  • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
  • Show more

Senior project engineer vs senior mechanical engineer skills

Common senior project engineer skills
  • Project Management, 16%
  • Construction Management, 4%
  • CAD, 4%
  • UL, 4%
  • Engineering Design, 3%
  • Cost Estimates, 3%
Common senior mechanical engineer skills
  • Mechanical Engineering, 15%
  • CAD, 7%
  • Solidworks, 7%
  • Mechanical Design, 5%
  • Mechanical Systems, 5%
  • HVAC, 4%

Browse architecture and engineering jobs