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The differences between staff mechanical engineers and senior staff 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 senior staff engineer. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $108,997 average annual salary of a staff mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a staff mechanical engineer include CAD, mechanical design and solidworks. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,997 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $52.40 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 158,987 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Staff mechanical engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,997 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a staff mechanical engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between staff mechanical engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Staff Mechanical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |