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The differences between plastics engineers and development engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a development engineer has an average salary of $93,206, which is higher than the $80,304 average annual salary of a plastics engineer.
The top three skills for a plastics engineer include sigma, project management and extrusion. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Plastics Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,304 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $38.61 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 47,267 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
Plastics engineers must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and they will receive training opportunities that involve workshops and seminars to keep job skills current. This career requires skills in Sigma, project management, CAD, product quality, and product design. Those who choose this career path engage in manufacturing, fabrication, and end use testing of existing materials and the development of new processes, materials, and equipment.
A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Plastics engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plastics Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,304 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $106,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Washington |
| Best paying company | Pfizer | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plastics engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Plastics Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Plastics Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between plastics engineers' and development engineers' demographics:
| Plastics Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.3% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |