What is a product engineer and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a product engineer?

It takes about nine years to become a product engineer. To become a product engineer, you first need to complete at least a four-year engineering degree. Then you need at least five years of work experience.

Q: How much money does a product engineer make?

Product engineers make an average of $85,000 in a year. This makes an average hourly pay for a product development engineer just under $40. The salary level for a product development engineer depends on various factors. These factors include experience, education, location, industry, and company. Any person may have numerous unique combinations of these five factors influencing their specific salary.

Q: What does a product development engineer do?

A product development engineer develops, designs, creates, and manages new product ideas for businesses. This highly specialized role comes with specific knowledge of taking products from the idea stage through to execution and commercialization.

Q: What engineers make products?

Product engineers are engineers who make products. A product engineer is a mechanical engineering professional who designs products and coordinates the manufacturing process for those products. Specifically, a product engineer works on designing products, and the processes to manufacture them at scale involve several duties and responsibilities.

Q: What is a product engineer in tech?

A product engineer in tech is someone who builds hardware and software products effectively. A product engineer helps shape the tech product through active contribution in product conversations and by providing a strong technical voice in the product development process to achieve sound product/technical tradeoffs.

Q: What's the difference between a developer and a product engineer?

The difference between a developer and a product engineer is related to the scope of the project. A developer covers every step of the product creation process from start to completion (including the engineering stage). While a product engineer usually gets involved after the marketing research has been performed.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Andrea Welker Ph.D.,

Brian Denton Ph.D.

A product engineer designs develops, and tests products. They work to ensure that the product meets customer needs and market demands. Product engineers use their technical knowledge to identify and solve problems related to product development, manufacturing, and quality assurance. They also collaborate with suppliers and vendors to ensure that materials and components meet specifications. Product engineers must have strong analytical skills, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

What general advice would you give to a product engineer?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.

ScoreProduct EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.0

Avg. Salary $89,645

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 16.98%

Black or African American 3.08%

Hispanic or Latino 7.87%

Unknown 4.51%

White 67.45%

Gender

female 12.19%

male 87.81%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a product engineer?

Pros

Opportunity to work on innovative products
Chance to collaborate with cross-functional teams
Competitive salary and benefits
Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and processes
Opportunity to travel for work or attend industry events

Cons

Often requires working in fast-paced environments
Dealing with difficult customers or stakeholders can be challenging
May require working with multiple teams across different time zones
Can be mentally taxing as it requires attention to detail and problem-solving skills
May require on-call support outside of regular working hours

Key steps to become a product engineer

Explore product engineer education requirements

Most common product engineer degrees

Bachelor's

74.3 %

Master's

12.8 %

Associate

9.9 %

Start to develop specific product engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
CAD	6.33%
Product Design	4.53%
Project Management	3.97%
C++	3.50%
Solidworks	3.42%

Complete relevant product engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New product engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a product engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real product engineer resumes.

Research product engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead team to achieve project objectives and report results to Sr. Management.
Manage outsourced $500k mix mode voice security IC development.
Manage various EHS activities at the Fremont, California facility.
Manage coordination of APQP, component timing, and technical resource allocation for commercial issues.

Prepare your product engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your product engineer resume.

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