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Materials process engineer vs product engineer

The differences between materials process engineers and product engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a materials process engineer has an average salary of $90,788, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.

The top three skills for a materials process engineer include failure analysis, material properties and process specifications. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.

Materials process engineer vs product engineer overview

Materials Process EngineerProduct Engineer
Yearly salary$90,788$89,645
Hourly rate$43.65$43.10
Growth rate6%2%
Number of jobs79,795157,888
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4141
Years of experience-6

What does a materials process engineer do?

Materials Process Engineers are licensed engineers who develop different materials, usually for research or production purposes. They may create new materials derived from existing compounds and materials. Materials Process Engineers must document the processes involved in creating these new materials. They would then study the different elements and specifications of this new material. This would help industries that may need a similar material gauge, whether applicable in their area. Material Process Engineers also work on finding new ways to use existing materials. This would help increase the value of the material since there are more and practical uses for it.

What does a product engineer do?

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.

Materials process engineer vs product engineer salary

Materials process engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Materials Process EngineerProduct Engineer
Average salary$90,788$89,645
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $118,000Between $68,000 And $118,000
Highest paying CityEverett, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaMeta
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between materials process engineer and product engineer education

There are a few differences between a materials process engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:

Materials Process EngineerProduct Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorChemical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeGeorgia Institute of TechnologyMichigan Technological University

Materials process engineer vs product engineer demographics

Here are the differences between materials process engineers' and product engineers' demographics:

Materials Process EngineerProduct Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 78.3% Female, 21.7%Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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 Percentage10%5%

Differences between materials process engineer and product engineer duties and responsibilities

Materials process engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and successfully complete carbon/epoxy material qualification and gain approval from FAA to use in manufacturing of composite aircraft parts.
  • Redesign polymer formulations for critical defense and aerospace programs due to chemical obsolescence.
  • Pulled/Analyze data in JMP package.
  • Project manager for electrical and thermo-property testing to ASTM standards.
  • Perform weekly injector, thrust chamber, and gear quality inspection per AES, ASTM, standards and DELMIA requirements.
  • Coordinate with the forging and heat treatment departments to resolve the occasional recurring excessive ultrasonic noise issue in titanium alloys.
  • Show more

Product engineer example responsibilities.

  • Lead team to achieve project objectives and report results to Sr. Management.
  • Manage outsourced $500k mix mode voice security IC development.
  • Manage various EHS activities at the Fremont, California facility.
  • Manage coordination of APQP, component timing, and technical resource allocation for commercial issues.
  • Manage the manufacturing of defense and aerospace electro-mechanical print circuit boards from prototype to production level.
  • Sketch concepts (Creo), coordinate prototype builds, provide assembly instructions and troubleshoot build issues.
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Materials process engineer vs product engineer skills

Common materials process engineer skills
  • Failure Analysis, 10%
  • Material Properties, 9%
  • Process Specifications, 6%
  • Engineering Drawings, 5%
  • DOD, 4%
  • Data Analysis, 3%
Common product engineer skills
  • CAD, 6%
  • Product Design, 5%
  • Project Management, 4%
  • C++, 4%
  • Solidworks, 3%
  • Product Development, 3%

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