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The differences between process development 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 development engineer, becoming a product development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a process development engineer has an average salary of $89,754, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a process development engineer include data analysis, DOE and R. The most important skills for a product development engineer are CAD, solidworks, and product development.
| Process Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,754 | $86,075 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $41.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 118,616 | 202,155 |
| 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.
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 development engineers and product development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,754 | $86,075 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $114,000 | Between $64,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process development engineer and a product development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Development Engineer | Product 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 product development engineers' demographics:
| Process Development Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| 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, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |