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The differences between product quality engineers and process engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a product quality engineer and a process engineer. Additionally, a product quality engineer has an average salary of $94,173, which is higher than the $82,443 average annual salary of a process engineer.
The top three skills for a product quality engineer include product quality, continuous improvement and sigma. The most important skills for a process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Product Quality Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,173 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $45.28 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 152,621 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A product quality engineer is responsible for conducting quality check procedures for outputs and manufacturing processes to ensure high-quality deliverables according to business requirements and client specifications. Product quality engineers implement quality assessment criteria with strict adherence to internal guidelines and regulatory policies. They inspect the tools and equipment used for the production and solve inconsistencies, recommending and writing process reports to prevent fault reoccurrence that may affect product standards and market quality and cause distribution delays.
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Product quality engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Quality Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,173 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $124,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product quality engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Quality Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product quality engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Product Quality Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.1% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |