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The differences between product engineers and tool 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 engineer and a tool engineer. Additionally, a tool engineer has an average salary of $101,135, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.
The top three skills for a product engineer include CAD, product design and project management. The most important skills for a tool engineer are python, java, and CAD.
| Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,645 | $101,135 |
| Hourly rate | $43.10 | $48.62 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 157,888 | 98,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
Product engineers and tool engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,645 | $101,135 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $118,000 | Between $75,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product engineer and a tool engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between product engineers' and tool engineers' demographics:
| Product Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |