Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior research engineers and senior mechanical designers 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 research engineer and a senior mechanical designer. Additionally, a senior research engineer has an average salary of $115,047, which is higher than the $103,765 average annual salary of a senior mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a senior research engineer include python, java and project management. The most important skills for a senior mechanical designer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Senior Research Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $115,047 | $103,765 |
| Hourly rate | $55.31 | $49.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 120,798 | 71,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Research Engineer leads a team of engineers to develop and implement innovative products and technologies. They also provide training and technical support.
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.
Senior research engineers and senior mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $115,047 | $103,765 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $151,000 | Between $81,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior research engineer and a senior mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between senior research engineers' and senior mechanical designers' demographics:
| Senior Research Engineer | Senior Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |