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The differences between manufacturing development engineers and product development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a manufacturing development engineer, becoming a product development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product development manager has an average salary of $113,437, which is higher than the $77,888 average annual salary of a manufacturing development engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing development engineer include R, medical devices and sigma. The most important skills for a product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $77,888 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $37.45 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 105,577 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 10 |
A manufacturing development engineer works to improve the process of making products. The responsibilities of this position are repairing equipment used in manufacturing, purchasing and installing manufacturing equipment, designing new procedures and systems, diagnosing problems with machinery, supervising other engineering and technical staff, and managing the budget for the development engineering staff. They are also responsible for designing, creating, and testing new products. This position requires a mechanical engineering or bioengineering degree.
A product development manager spearheads the development of new products within a company. Most of the time, their responsibilities revolve around conducting marketing research and analysis to determine consumers' needs, coordinating with the product development team to come up with new ideas, proposing business plans to the executives, and creating prototypes. A product development manager must also present a cost analysis, produce progress reports, and address inquiries and concerns. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Manufacturing development engineers and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $77,888 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $105,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Lumileds | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing development engineer and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Product Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between manufacturing development engineers' and product development managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.0% Female, 16.0% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 12.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 10% |