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The differences between product quality managers and senior product 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 quality manager and a senior product engineer. Additionally, a product quality manager has an average salary of $117,932, which is higher than the $101,685 average annual salary of a senior product engineer.
The top three skills for a product quality manager include continuous improvement, data analysis and project management. The most important skills for a senior product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Product Quality Manager | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $117,932 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $56.70 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 145,282 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 48 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Product Quality Manager's job is to inspect the quality of products to ensure that they are built with compliance and meet customer expectations. They are thorough and observant of every detail of the product. Product Quality Manager's are responsible for understanding the customer's needs to develop effective quality control processes. They also devise and review the specs of the processes or product, set requirements for intermediate products for monitor compliances. They also ensure adherence to health and safety guidelines.
A senior product engineer specializes in optimizing product designs and manufacturing procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They are typically in charge of performing market research and analysis, utilizing the results as a basis in designing new products and upgrading existing designs. Moreover, they coordinate with product development teams to cultivate ideas, develop prototypes and test structures, and oversee the material selection that will make the products possible. As a senior product engineer, it is essential to monitor the entire progress and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Product quality managers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Quality Manager | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $117,932 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $169,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Cloudflare |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product quality manager and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Quality Manager | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product quality managers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Product Quality Manager | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |