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The differences between product developers and product design engineers 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 product design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a product design engineer has an average salary of $94,827, 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 product design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Product Developer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,629 | $94,827 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $45.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 147,035 | 170,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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 Product Design Engineer designs new products that customers will want to purchase. They are responsible for designing, modeling, and testing prototypes for products.
Product developers and product design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Developer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,629 | $94,827 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $123,000 | Between $69,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product developer and a product design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Developer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between product developers' and product design engineers' demographics:
| Product Developer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.2% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 5% |