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The differences between product developers and designers 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 designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a product developer has an average salary of $88,629, which is higher than the $66,347 average annual salary of a designer.
The top three skills for a product developer include product development, R and develop user. The most important skills for a designer are sketch, customer service, and graphic design.
| Product Developer | Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,629 | $66,347 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 147,035 | 52,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 39 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 12 |
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 designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences. Designers are creative thinkers with a great eye to configure the skeletal and structural properties of the targeted output. They work in several fields, such as fashion, architecture, web graphics, and user experience. In spite of the variety of professionals in the design industry, all of them are artistic, passionate, inspiring, and emotionally connected to their projects and brands.
Product developers and designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Developer | Designer | |
| Average salary | $88,629 | $66,347 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $123,000 | Between $45,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product developer and a designer in terms of educational background:
| Product Developer | Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between product developers' and designers' demographics:
| Product Developer | Designer | |
| Average age | 39 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 13% |