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The differences between staff mechanical engineers and mechanical 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 staff mechanical engineer and a mechanical design engineer. Additionally, a staff mechanical engineer has an average salary of $108,997, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for a staff mechanical engineer include CAD, mechanical design and solidworks. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,997 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $52.40 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 158,987 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A staff mechanical engineer designs and develops engines, tools, and machinery. Staff mechanical engineers create products like refrigerators, power tools, car engines, and turbines. They take part in cross-departmental and multi-functional design teams. They write handbooks, bulletins, and reports for use by department or staff. They have to lead project management from making ideas to launching the product. The skills they need to know to include mechanical design, product development, electrical systems, and detail orientation.
A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.
Staff mechanical engineers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,997 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a staff mechanical engineer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design 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 | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between staff mechanical engineers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |