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The differences between product designers and senior industrial designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a product designer and a senior industrial designer. Additionally, a product designer has an average salary of $102,033, which is higher than the $74,758 average annual salary of a senior industrial designer.
The top three skills for a product designer include sketch, visual design and UI. The most important skills for a senior industrial designer are industrial design, solidworks, and CAD.
| Product Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,033 | $74,758 |
| Hourly rate | $49.05 | $35.94 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 98,465 | 52,343 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A product designer's key responsibilities are to perform design research, selecting the best materials, and develop user storyboards for the client and users' best interest. Product designers usually work with a whole design team, documenting suggestions to deliver high-quality outputs or improve existing products to match the market trends. They must also communicate with other skilled professionals to enhance their ideas and consult clients for any necessary adjustments that would affect the total user experience. A product designer should also have extensive knowledge of the consumer's preference to make the design more appealing and engaging.
A senior industrial designer specializes in designing and developing ideas into manufactured products. Most of their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to identify what the product will be and who will use it, conceptualize plans and designs, create sketches and blueprints, utilize software and other tools to come up with virtual models, and present prototypes to clients. They must also develop guidelines and specifications according to the project's requirements. Moreover, as a senior industrial engineer, they must lead and serve as a role model to junior designers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Product designers and senior industrial designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Average salary | $102,033 | $74,758 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $152,000 | Between $46,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a product designer and a senior industrial designer in terms of educational background:
| Product Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between product designers' and senior industrial designers' demographics:
| Product Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8% | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |