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The differences between lead product engineers and process engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a lead product engineer, becoming a process engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a lead product engineer has an average salary of $105,767, which is higher than the $82,443 average annual salary of a process engineer.
The top three skills for a lead product engineer include java, solidworks and software development. The most important skills for a process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Lead Product Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $105,767 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $50.85 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 149,514 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A lead product engineer designs and develops products and their manufacturing process. As a lead product engineer, you will oversee the product's transition from design to manufacture. It is your duty to create and test product prototypes and source materials needed to build these prototypes. Other duties that you will perform include working closely with the product development team and ensuring all products meet safety policies. Additionally, you will also be responsible for providing product engineer support and maintaining product technical documentation.
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Lead product engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Product Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $105,767 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $137,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead product engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Product Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between lead product engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Lead Product Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |