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Product applications engineer vs technical sales engineer

The differences between product applications engineers and technical 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 technical sales engineer. Additionally, a product applications engineer has an average salary of $101,877, which is higher than the $88,623 average annual salary of a technical sales engineer.

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

Product applications engineer vs technical sales engineer overview

Product Applications EngineerTechnical Sales Engineer
Yearly salary$101,877$88,623
Hourly rate$48.98$42.61
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs101,218161,743
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
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 a technical sales engineer do?

A technical sales engineer is a sales professional who provides technical sales support and advice about the products and services. Your duties typically include consulting and selling on scientifically and technologically advanced products, organizing sales visits, and liaising contracts and terms and conditions. Additionally, you are expected to collaborate with the design, engineering, production, and research and development departments on how to modify products and services that meet customers' needs. You are also responsible for attending meetings, conferences, and trade shows.

Product applications engineer vs technical sales engineer salary

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

Product Applications EngineerTechnical Sales Engineer
Average salary$101,877$88,623
Salary rangeBetween $75,000 And $138,000Between $63,000 And $122,000
Highest paying CityMountain View, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaOregon
Best paying companyGoogleGoogle
Best paying industryTechnologyTelecommunication

Differences between product applications engineer and technical sales engineer education

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

Product Applications EngineerTechnical Sales Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Product applications engineer vs technical sales engineer demographics

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

Product Applications EngineerTechnical Sales Engineer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 89.4% Female, 10.6%Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%
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, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between product applications engineer and technical 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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Technical sales engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain CRM database, including entering new opportunities into system and periodically updating existing customer profiles.
  • Steer RFP, RFQ, and bid management activities for new and existing customer engagements together with sales operations.
  • Establish back-office systems from scratch, including implementing order fulfillment system, CRM, and QuickBooks.
  • Educate the internal teams on the competitive landscape of cloud solutions as well as new partners.
  • Prepare request for proposal (RFP) responses in conjunction with the appropriate sales team as necessary.
  • Configure computer, server, and IP telephony system quotes per given requirements for current and potential customers.
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Product applications engineer vs technical 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 technical sales engineer skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Sales Process, 8%
  • Product Line, 7%
  • Pre Sales, 7%
  • Technical Knowledge, 4%
  • Technical Expertise, 4%