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The differences between product developers and developers 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 developer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a developer has an average salary of $100,076, which is higher than the $88,629 average annual salary of a product developer.
The top three skills for a product developer include product development, R and develop user. The most important skills for a developer are javascript, python, and java.
| Product Developer | Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,629 | $100,076 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $48.11 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 147,035 | 262,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 4 |
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.
Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible. They are responsible for designing the system through coding and basic user interface design. They also work on troubleshooting any challenges that may be met at the testing stage of the program's development. They solve challenges and ensure that minimal problems will arise upon publishing the system or application. They also manage the evaluation to ensure that the program's goals are accomplished and that the end-users are satisfied with the results.
Product developers and developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Developer | Developer | |
| Average salary | $88,629 | $100,076 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $123,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a product developer and a developer in terms of educational background:
| Product Developer | Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between product developers' and developers' demographics:
| Product Developer | Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |