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The differences between hvac 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 hvac engineer and a product engineer. Additionally, a product engineer has an average salary of $89,645, which is higher than the $70,354 average annual salary of a hvac engineer.
The top three skills for a hvac engineer include plumbing, preventive maintenance and electrical equipment. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Hvac Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,354 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $33.82 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 101,743 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning) engineer is responsible for managing the efficiency and stability of cooling and heating systems. HVAC engineers install the system's components, requiring them to have an excellent analysis of schematics and blueprints. They also conduct regular inspection and cleaning services to ensure that the systems work on their optimal performance. An HVAC engineer must have excellent organizational and mechanical skills, especially in understanding system complexities and the ability to identify inconsistencies immediately.
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.
Hvac engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hvac Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,354 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $97,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a hvac engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hvac Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Duke University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between hvac engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Hvac Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 13.3% White, 69.5% 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% |