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The differences between process design engineers and product development engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a process design engineer, becoming a product development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a process design engineer has an average salary of $89,834, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a process design engineer include project management, process engineering and CAD. The most important skills for a product development engineer are CAD, solidworks, and product development.
| Process Design Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,834 | $86,075 |
| Hourly rate | $43.19 | $41.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 93,788 | 202,155 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Process Design Engineer designs various products, including required calculation, component selection, and determining the methods of construction. They are responsible for the safety management of the projects.
A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.
Process design engineers and product development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Design Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,834 | $86,075 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $116,000 | Between $64,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process design engineer and a product development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Design Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between process design engineers' and product development engineers' demographics:
| Process Design Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |