Product design engineers study, design, and develop the products we use daily. They can work in any organization where products are created. The job of a product design engineer is to make products that consumers want to use.
Their job is multifaceted and includes determining the requirements for a product, creating blueprints, and sourcing the proper manufacturing environment. Product design engineers may also explore new product opportunities, study competitor products, and meet with other teams.
Product design engineers may also perform managerial duties like keeping a budget, hiring, and training staff. The job requires various skills, including knowledge of mechanical design, proficiency with software like AutoCAD, and great knowledge of materials and their behavior.
To become a product design engineer, you'll need a bachelor's degree in product design, manufacturing engineering, or other related fields. You'll also need a sufficient understanding of the products and industry you'll be working with.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Product Design Engineer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $40.73 an hour? That's $84,718 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 12,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Product Design Engineers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Creativity, Listening skills and Math skills.
If you're interested in becoming a Product Design Engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 73.7% of Product Design Engineers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.0% of Product Design Engineers have master's degrees. Even though most Product Design Engineers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Product Design Engineer. When we researched the most common majors for a Product Design Engineer, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Associate Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Product Design Engineer resumes include Master's Degree degrees or Doctoral Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Product Design Engineer. In fact, many Product Design Engineer jobs require experience in a role such as Design Engineer. Meanwhile, many Product Design Engineers also have previous career experience in roles such as Mechanical Design Engineer or Project Engineer.