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The differences between machine designers 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 machine designer and a product engineer. Additionally, a product engineer has an average salary of $89,645, which is higher than the $69,937 average annual salary of a machine designer.
The top three skills for a machine designer include solidworks, machine design and autocad. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Machine Designer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,937 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $33.62 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 81,897 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mechanical designer creates and draws different designs for pieces of machinery and other equipment. They are often patterned with engineers and other related professionals to create a variety of types of machinery. Typically they work in an office setting, with the majority at architecture, manufacturing, and engineering firms. They may also be the person who develops and provides layout designs for customers and clients. A person who is creative, has a background in product development, and possesses analytic skills may be a great fit for the job.
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.
Machine designers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Machine Designer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $69,937 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $100,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Ana, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Energy Inc. | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a machine designer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Machine Designer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between machine designers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Machine Designer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% 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% |