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The differences between team lead 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 team lead engineer and a senior mechanical engineer. Additionally, a team lead engineer has an average salary of $114,867, which is higher than the $103,836 average annual salary of a senior mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a team lead engineer include python, architecture and java. The most important skills for a senior mechanical engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and solidworks.
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $114,867 | $103,836 |
| Hourly rate | $55.22 | $49.92 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 235,155 | 98,063 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A team leads engineer is in charge of spearheading and overseeing the efforts of an engineering team, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although the duties may depend on one's industry of employment, it typically includes designing and developing systems according to project requirements, setting objectives and construction guidelines, delegating tasks, managing budgets and schedules, and monitoring the workflow, performing corrective measures as needed. Furthermore, as a team leads engineer, it is essential to encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's safety standards and regulations.
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.
Team lead engineers and senior mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $114,867 | $103,836 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $156,000 | Between $79,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a team lead engineer and a senior mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between team lead engineers' and senior mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Team Lead Engineer | Senior Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.5% 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 Percentage | 5% | 5% |