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The differences between lead product engineers and senior project 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 product engineer and a senior project engineer. Additionally, a lead product engineer has an average salary of $105,767, which is higher than the $97,803 average annual salary of a senior project engineer.
The top three skills for a lead product engineer include java, solidworks and software development. The most important skills for a senior project engineer are project management, construction management, and CAD.
| Lead Product Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $105,767 | $97,803 |
| Hourly rate | $50.85 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 149,514 | 146,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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 senior project engineer is responsible for monitoring the project team's overall process and operations from conceptualization until completion, ensuring the adherence to the clients' specifications, within the budget's goals, and the required deadline. Senior project engineers regularly communicate with the client regarding updates or necessary adjustments. They develop strategic procedures to finish the project efficiently by running diagnostic tests and troubleshooting discrepancies. A senior project engineer must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the team's performance and provide assistance when necessary.
Lead product engineers and senior project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Product Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $105,767 | $97,803 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $137,000 | Between $77,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Meta | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead product engineer and a senior project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Product Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lead product engineers' and senior project engineers' demographics:
| Lead Product Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |