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The differences between product engineering managers and product line managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a product engineering manager, becoming a product line manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product engineering manager has an average salary of $125,592, which is higher than the $97,237 average annual salary of a product line manager.
The top three skills for a product engineering manager include project management, product management and product engineering. The most important skills for a product line manager are product management, customer service, and PLM.
| Product Engineering Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $125,592 | $97,237 |
| Hourly rate | $60.38 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 148,619 | 158,908 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 10 |
A product engineering manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the development of products and procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. In a manufacturing setting, their responsibilities include setting objectives, managing the budgets and schedules, coordinating engineers and specialists, implementing solutions in vulnerable areas, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They must also monitor the progress of processes, resolving any issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a product engineering manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A product line manager is an individual who provides product and market intelligence by increasing the market share of a company. Product line managers must create competitive analysis and interpret market trends so that they can provide recommendations and guidance to the company. They are required to identify target markets and should come up with strategies for market penetration. Product line managers must also monitor the creation and development of new products as well as to measure the success of the products in the market.
Product engineering managers and product line managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Engineering Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Average salary | $125,592 | $97,237 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $174,000 | Between $52,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | ON Semiconductor |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a product engineering manager and a product line manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Engineering Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product engineering managers' and product line managers' demographics:
| Product Engineering Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |