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The differences between lead product engineers and tool 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 tool engineer. Additionally, a lead product engineer has an average salary of $105,767, which is higher than the $101,135 average annual salary of a tool engineer.
The top three skills for a lead product engineer include java, solidworks and software development. The most important skills for a tool engineer are python, java, and CAD.
| Lead Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $105,767 | $101,135 |
| Hourly rate | $50.85 | $48.62 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 149,514 | 98,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
Lead product engineers and tool engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average salary | $105,767 | $101,135 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $137,000 | Between $75,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead product engineer and a tool engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lead product engineers' and tool engineers' demographics:
| Lead Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |