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The differences between product development engineers and packaging engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a product development engineer, becoming a packaging engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a packaging engineer has an average salary of $88,452, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a product development engineer include CAD, solidworks and product development. The most important skills for a packaging engineer are CAD, project management, and solidworks.
| Product Development Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,075 | $88,452 |
| Hourly rate | $41.38 | $42.52 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 202,155 | 54,028 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.
A Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.
Product development engineers and packaging engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,075 | $88,452 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $113,000 | Between $65,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product development engineer and a packaging engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering And Industrial Management |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product development engineers' and packaging engineers' demographics:
| Product Development Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 13.1% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |