What is a senior mechanical engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Experts
Marco Schoen Ph.D.,
Brian Denton Ph.D.
introduction image

A senior mechanical engineer designs and develops mechanical systems and devices. They may lead teams, manage projects, and ensure quality standards. Senior mechanical engineers work on improving existing products and processes, as well as creating new ones. They use physics, mathematics, and materials science to solve complex problems. A senior mechanical engineer typically has a bachelor's or master's degree and several years of experience. They work in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing.

What general advice would you give to a Senior Mechanical Engineer?

Marco Schoen Ph.D.Marco Schoen Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC), Idaho State University

Stay current. Engineering evolves continuously; new tools, new technologies, and new areas where engineers can contribute, learn, and work. When graduating, students have the feeling they are set for their careers. However, this is not true; they might be set to start their careers. To be consistently successful in their pages, they need to stay informed and updated.
ScoreSenior Mechanical EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $103,836

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.4

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 15.82%

Black or African American 3.18%

Hispanic or Latino 8.32%

Unknown 4.54%

White 68.03%

Gender

female 5.83%

male 94.17%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress Level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Senior Mechanical Engineer?

Pros

  • High salary potential

  • Possibility for international travel

  • Potential for career advancement into management positions

  • Job security due to high demand for experienced mechanical engineers

  • Ability to work with a diverse range of people, including designers, technicians, and executives

Cons

  • Long hours and tight deadlines, especially during project crunch times

  • Limited creativity and autonomy due to adherence to industry standards and regulations

  • Potential for conflict with other departments or team members

  • Potential for burnout from high workload and pressure to perform

  • Possibility of job instability during economic downturns or changes in the industry.

Senior Mechanical Engineer career paths

Key steps to become a senior mechanical engineer

  1. Explore senior mechanical engineer education requirements

    Most common senior mechanical engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.6 %

    Master's

    17.6 %

    Associate

    5.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior mechanical engineer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Mechanical Engineering14.60%
    CAD7.15%
    Solidworks6.96%
    Mechanical Design4.98%
    Mechanical Systems4.50%
  3. Complete relevant senior mechanical engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior mechanical engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior mechanical engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior mechanical engineer resumes.
  4. Research senior mechanical engineer duties and 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.
  5. Get senior mechanical engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior mechanical engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior mechanical engineer include mechanical engineer, project engineer team lead and mechanical design engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior mechanical engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior mechanical engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior mechanical engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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  7. Apply for senior mechanical engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior mechanical engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Senior Mechanical Engineer Job

Zippi

Are you a Senior Mechanical Engineer?

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Average senior mechanical engineer salary

The average Senior Mechanical Engineer salary in the United States is $103,836 per year or $50 per hour. Senior mechanical engineer salaries range between $79,000 and $136,000 per year.

Average Senior Mechanical Engineer Salary
$103,836 Yearly
$49.92 hourly

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Senior Mechanical Engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023
Pros

It can gurantee you a good salary and if you are creative you can do many things.

Cons

you have to be creative.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Link PCB design with Manufacturing, reduce cycle and solve the problems earlier


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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