Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between product developers and software 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 software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Product Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,629 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 147,035 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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.
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 developers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,629 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $123,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a product developer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between product developers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Product Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |