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The differences between product applications engineers and product development 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 product development engineer. Additionally, a product applications engineer has an average salary of $101,877, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a product applications engineer include technical support, product line and RF. The most important skills for a product development engineer are CAD, solidworks, and product development.
| Product Applications Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,877 | $86,075 |
| Hourly rate | $48.98 | $41.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 101,218 | 202,155 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| 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 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.
Product applications engineers and product development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Applications Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,877 | $86,075 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $138,000 | Between $64,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product applications engineer and a product development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Applications Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between product applications engineers' and product development engineers' demographics:
| Product Applications Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| 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, 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 | 7% | 5% |