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The differences between product design engineers and equipment 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 design engineer and an equipment engineer. Additionally, an equipment engineer has an average salary of $97,539, which is higher than the $94,827 average annual salary of a product design engineer.
The top three skills for a product design engineer include CAD, mechanical design and GD. The most important skills for an equipment engineer are equipment performance, semiconductor, and project management.
| Product Design Engineer | Equipment Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,827 | $97,539 |
| Hourly rate | $45.59 | $46.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 170,485 | 108,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Product Design Engineer designs new products that customers will want to purchase. They are responsible for designing, modeling, and testing prototypes for products.
The duties of an equipment engineer depend on one's organization or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around designing and developing mechanical and electronic equipment, analyzing and improving existing systems, performing customization according to customers' preferences, installing and removing attachments, and conducting regular maintenance procedures. An equipment engineer must also address issues and complaints, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with team members and other specialists, inspect and test new systems, and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Product design engineers and equipment engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Design Engineer | Equipment Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,827 | $97,539 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $129,000 | Between $69,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Louisiana |
| Best paying company | Meta | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a product design engineer and an equipment engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Design Engineer | Equipment Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between product design engineers' and equipment engineers' demographics:
| Product Design Engineer | Equipment Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.2% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 15.1% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |