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The differences between design development engineers and product development 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 design development engineer and a product development engineer. Additionally, a design development engineer has an average salary of $92,179, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a design development engineer include solidworks, FEA and C++. The most important skills for a product development engineer are CAD, solidworks, and product development.
| Design Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,179 | $86,075 |
| Hourly rate | $44.32 | $41.38 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 174,870 | 202,155 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Design development engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for testing products for various industries such as electronics and synthetic textiles. These engineers must collaborate with the research and development (R&D;) organization to carry out initial new product development projects. They are required to coordinate a project with clients and consultants to ensure the approval of project permits and construction feasibility. Design development engineers must also possess skills in using software such as SolidWorks to model complex product parts and components.
A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.
Design development engineers and product development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,179 | $86,075 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $124,000 | Between $64,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design development engineer and a product development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design development engineers' and product development engineers' demographics:
| Design Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |