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Product applications engineer vs inside sales engineer

The differences between product applications engineers and inside sales 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 inside sales engineer. Additionally, a product applications engineer has an average salary of $101,877, which is higher than the $50,487 average annual salary of an inside sales engineer.

The top three skills for a product applications engineer include technical support, product line and RF. The most important skills for an inside sales engineer are customer service, product knowledge, and CRM.

Product applications engineer vs inside sales engineer overview

Product Applications EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Yearly salary$101,877$50,487
Hourly rate$48.98$24.27
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs101,218156,700
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4444
Years of experience66

What does a product applications engineer do?

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.

What does an inside sales engineer do?

An inside sales engineer is an individual who uses specialized technical knowledge to negotiate between sales units and clients to increase the profits and revenue of a company. Inside sales, engineers must seek clients who will benefit from their products or services and aim to maximize client potential in the different allocated regions. Inside sales engineers must also provide technical help and carry out training, if necessary, once a sale has been made.

Product applications engineer vs inside sales engineer salary

Product applications engineers and inside sales engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Product Applications EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Average salary$101,877$50,487
Salary rangeBetween $75,000 And $138,000Between $33,000 And $76,000
Highest paying CityMountain View, CAAlexandria, VA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyGoogleFluid Components International
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between product applications engineer and inside sales engineer education

There are a few differences between a product applications engineer and an inside sales engineer in terms of educational background:

Product Applications EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Product applications engineer vs inside sales engineer demographics

Here are the differences between product applications engineers' and inside sales engineers' demographics:

Product Applications EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 89.4% Female, 10.6%Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between product applications engineer and inside sales engineer duties and responsibilities

Product applications engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the manufacturing of defense and aerospace electro-mechanical print circuit boards from prototype to production level.
  • Analyze and debug digital and RF hardware and systems in-house and at customer sites.
  • Work on XML base integration for data exchange between OTM and client applications.
  • Support transactions include legacy systems, DLMS EDI and XML formats as well as custom XML.
  • Assist in wide variety of technical assessments of OEM customer requirements in support of sales and business development activities.
  • Design an automatic gain control algorithm (AGC) for LTE base station receivers along with other RF performance improvement techniques.
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Inside sales engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage inbound domestic and international logistics and domestic shipping with respect to carrier selection, forwarding, brokering and expediting.
  • Provide technical contribution during the RFP / RFI process.
  • Write custom SQL reports for customers.
  • Utilize SQL to query databases while troubleshooting issues.
  • Design and configure computer systems for clients in the Pre-Sales mode.
  • Generate 3D renderings in AutoCAD and other design software for customer review.
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Product applications engineer vs inside sales engineer skills

Common product applications engineer skills
  • Technical Support, 8%
  • Product Line, 7%
  • RF, 5%
  • Product Design, 4%
  • Trade Shows, 3%
  • Solidworks, 3%
Common inside sales engineer skills
  • Customer Service, 24%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%
  • CRM, 4%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 3%
  • Cleanliness, 3%
  • Distributors, 3%