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The differences between product designers and software engineers 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 software engineer. Additionally, a product designer has an average salary of $102,033, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a product designer include sketch, visual design and UI. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Product Designer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,033 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $49.05 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 98,465 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| 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 software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Product designers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Designer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,033 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $152,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a product designer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Designer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between product designers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Product Designer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |