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The differences between product developers and buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a product developer, becoming a buyer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a product developer has an average salary of $88,629, which is higher than the $54,049 average annual salary of a buyer.
The top three skills for a product developer include product development, R and develop user. The most important skills for a buyer are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Product Developer | Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,629 | $54,049 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $25.99 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 147,035 | 23,589 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 10 | - |
A product developer is responsible for creating the designs of an industrial product based on the client's specifications and budget requirements. Product developers work closely with the whole design team to strategize and execute plans within the agreed timeframe. Product developers must be updated with the current industry trends, developing designs that would be competitive in the market, boosting the company's brand image to attract potential clients, and generate more revenues. A product developer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as utilizing various software tools to create high-quality designs.
A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products. They also conduct extensive research for market and price trends while considering the highest quality standards. Buyers should also possess strong analytical skills to create purchase orders and statistical analysis.
Product developers and buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Developer | Buyer | |
| Average salary | $88,629 | $54,049 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $123,000 | Between $37,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Englewood, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a product developer and a buyer in terms of educational background:
| Product Developer | Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between product developers' and buyers' demographics:
| Product Developer | Buyer | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 43.9% Female, 56.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |