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The differences between lead mechanical 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 lead mechanical engineer and a product engineer. Additionally, a lead mechanical engineer has an average salary of $94,184, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.
The top three skills for a lead mechanical engineer include mechanical engineering, CAD and solidworks. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,184 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $45.28 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 87,974 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A lead mechanical engineer is responsible for overseeing the overall project development processes, analyzing blueprints and specifications, and designing system models according to clients' requirements and budget limitations. Lead mechanical engineers inspect the efficiency of tools and materials and perform multiple diagnostic tests and quality checks to ensure the stability of the products for client satisfaction. They also guide the junior engineers in the integration of resources, as well as writing progress reports for the team's calibration.
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.
Lead mechanical engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,184 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead mechanical engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | 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 lead mechanical engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Lead Mechanical Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 12.8% White, 69.7% 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% |