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The differences between mechanical systems engineers 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 mechanical systems engineer and a product engineer. Additionally, a product engineer has an average salary of $89,645, which is higher than the $85,387 average annual salary of a mechanical systems engineer.
The top three skills for a mechanical systems engineer include mechanical systems, CAD and system design. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,387 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $41.05 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 158,980 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mechanical systems engineer is responsible for designing tools and equipment, overseeing manufacturing processes, and running quality checks on the products to ensure adherence to business requirements and guidelines. Mechanical systems engineers analyze blueprints and specifications to recommend cost-reduction techniques and materials for production. They also inspect the operating systems and performance of equipment, resolving machinery failures, and modifying designs to improve feasibility. A mechanical systems engineer must have excellent technical and organizational skills, especially on researching current trends to identify opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profits.
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.
Mechanical systems engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,387 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a mechanical systems engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between mechanical systems engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Mechanical Systems Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 12.8% White, 70.3% 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% |