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The differences between product development engineers and senior product engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a product development engineer and a senior product engineer. Additionally, a senior product engineer has an average salary of $101,685, 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 senior product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,075 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $41.38 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 202,155 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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 senior product engineer specializes in optimizing product designs and manufacturing procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They are typically in charge of performing market research and analysis, utilizing the results as a basis in designing new products and upgrading existing designs. Moreover, they coordinate with product development teams to cultivate ideas, develop prototypes and test structures, and oversee the material selection that will make the products possible. As a senior product engineer, it is essential to monitor the entire progress and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Product development engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,075 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $113,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Cloudflare |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product development engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product development engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |