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The differences between product applications engineers and application 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 product applications engineer and an application engineer. Additionally, a product applications engineer has an average salary of $101,877, which is higher than the $92,921 average annual salary of an application engineer.
The top three skills for a product applications engineer include technical support, product line and RF. The most important skills for an application engineer are technical support, java, and C++.
| Product Applications Engineer | Application Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,877 | $92,921 |
| Hourly rate | $48.98 | $44.67 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 101,218 | 111,338 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A product applications engineer's job is to determine business needs and develop solutions with product managers and address customer queries and issues promptly. They typically address customer questions and issues in a timely manner. They communicate feedback from customers to the design team and provide post-sales support to make suitable modifications in product design. Moreover, it is part of their responsibility to evaluate new software products, check defects, conduct internal application trials for verification, and maintain accurate documentation of problems related to applications, including solutions.
An application engineer is responsible for creating and re-designing system applications based on clients' specifications and sales demands. Application engineers run diagnostic tests on software programs, identify areas of improvement, install necessary updates, upgrade optimization, revise system codes, and provide technical support for customers' needs. They also generate ideas and locate other business opportunities by analyzing current trends in the technology market that would help build revenues and increase profitability for the company. An application engineer must have a strong command of programming languages, software application processes, and general technology disciplines.
Product applications engineers and application engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Applications Engineer | Application Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,877 | $92,921 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $138,000 | Between $69,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Morgan Lewis | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product applications engineer and an application engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Applications Engineer | Application Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between product applications engineers' and application engineers' demographics:
| Product Applications Engineer | Application Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 11.5% White, 74.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |