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The differences between process development engineers and design 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 development engineer, becoming a design development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design development engineer has an average salary of $92,179, which is higher than the $89,754 average annual salary of a process development engineer.
The top three skills for a process development engineer include data analysis, DOE and R. The most important skills for a design development engineer are solidworks, FEA, and C++.
| Process Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,754 | $92,179 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $44.32 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 118,616 | 174,870 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Process Development Engineer creates and implements process technology for product manufacturing to optimize workflow, improve operating capabilities, and help ensure workers' safety. They help enhance the speed and quality of processing from a variety of industries, such as mining or manufacturing.
Design development engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for testing products for various industries such as electronics and synthetic textiles. These engineers must collaborate with the research and development (R&D;) organization to carry out initial new product development projects. They are required to coordinate a project with clients and consultants to ensure the approval of project permits and construction feasibility. Design development engineers must also possess skills in using software such as SolidWorks to model complex product parts and components.
Process development engineers and design development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,754 | $92,179 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $114,000 | Between $68,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a process development engineer and a design development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | 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 development engineers' and design development engineers' demographics:
| Process Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 5% |