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The differences between design release engineers and product 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 release engineer and a product engineer. Additionally, a design release engineer has an average salary of $98,886, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.
The top three skills for a design release engineer include DFMEA, dvp r and DVP. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Design Release Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,886 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $47.54 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 103,172 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A design release engineer is responsible for creating and evaluating technology and mechanical designs used for commercial and industrial equipment to support business operations and customer activities. Design release engineers utilize various software applications and tools to implement design models according to business requirements and client specifications. They also identify the estimated costs and resources for the production by negotiating with trusted suppliers and vendors for materials that meet the highest quality standards. A design release engineer reviews the outputs before the launch to resolve possible issues and adjust design features as needed.
A product engineer specializes in designing and developing commercial materials and services. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis of the latest trends and marketing conditions to come up with new ideas and products for the public. Moreover, they are also responsible for producing reports and presentations, coordinating with the development team of their company. Product engineers also reach out to vendors and suppliers for the raw materials, set regulations and standards for the product, and even conduct a rigorous and regular quality check.
Design release engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Release Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,886 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $134,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Waymo | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design release engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Release Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design release engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Design Release Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 15.4% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |