Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between product applications engineers and pre 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 a pre sales engineer. Additionally, a pre sales engineer has an average salary of $116,651, which is higher than the $101,877 average annual salary of a product applications engineer.
The top three skills for a product applications engineer include technical support, product line and RF. The most important skills for a pre sales engineer are sales process, pre sales, and cloud.
| Product Applications Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,877 | $116,651 |
| Hourly rate | $48.98 | $56.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 101,218 | 68,855 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A pre-sales engineer's role is to assist clients by offering technology recommendations and advice, aiming to secure sales and client satisfaction. Aside from selling products and services, a pre-sales engineer is also responsible for coordinating with various sales personnel, identifying the needs of clients, discussing how the equipment and devices can help attain business goals, and answering any inquiries about the subject. Furthermore, it is essential to develop positive relationships with clients, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Product applications engineers and pre sales engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Applications Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,877 | $116,651 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $138,000 | Between $84,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product applications engineer and a pre sales engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Applications Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between product applications engineers' and pre sales engineers' demographics:
| Product Applications Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5% |
| 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, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |