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The differences between product engineers and test 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 engineer, becoming a test engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a product engineer has an average salary of $89,645, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a product engineer include CAD, product design and project management. The most important skills for a test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Product Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,645 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $43.10 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | 2% | - |
| Number of jobs | 157,888 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A product engineer specializes in designing and developing commercial materials and services. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis of the latest trends and marketing conditions to come up with new ideas and products for the public. Moreover, they are also responsible for producing reports and presentations, coordinating with the development team of their company. Product engineers also reach out to vendors and suppliers for the raw materials, set regulations and standards for the product, and even conduct a rigorous and regular quality check.
Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle. It is their duty to run tests on different criteria to identify and fix technical issues. They analyze reactions to determine the causes of malfunctions and recommend potential improvements. Moreover, they test products before they are launched to ensure customers get high-quality and functional products.
Product engineers and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,645 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $118,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a product engineer and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between product engineers' and test engineers' demographics:
| Product Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 11% |