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Product sales engineer vs inside sales engineer

The differences between product sales engineers and inside sales 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 sales engineer and an inside sales engineer. Additionally, a product sales engineer has an average salary of $92,735, which is higher than the $50,487 average annual salary of an inside sales engineer.

The top three skills for a product sales engineer include product sales, UL and product development. The most important skills for an inside sales engineer are customer service, product knowledge, and CRM.

Product sales engineer vs inside sales engineer overview

Product Sales EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Yearly salary$92,735$50,487
Hourly rate$44.58$24.27
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs139,762156,700
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4444
Years of experience66

What does a product sales engineer do?

Production sales engineer positions will require good judgment and business sense, resilience, and even, in an increasing capacity, foreign language skills, as well as teamwork and problem-solving skills. Those who choose this career path will be called upon to provide pre-sales technical assistance and product education, as well as make technical presentations and demonstrations. They will also be required to form liaisons with the sales team and other technical experts and solve any issues clients may have.

What does an inside sales engineer do?

An inside sales engineer is an individual who uses specialized technical knowledge to negotiate between sales units and clients to increase the profits and revenue of a company. Inside sales, engineers must seek clients who will benefit from their products or services and aim to maximize client potential in the different allocated regions. Inside sales engineers must also provide technical help and carry out training, if necessary, once a sale has been made.

Product sales engineer vs inside sales engineer salary

Product sales engineers and inside sales engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Product Sales EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Average salary$92,735$50,487
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $126,000Between $33,000 And $76,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAAlexandria, VA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyGoogleFluid Components International
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between product sales engineer and inside sales engineer education

There are a few differences between a product sales engineer and an inside sales engineer in terms of educational background:

Product Sales EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Product sales engineer vs inside sales engineer demographics

Here are the differences between product sales engineers' and inside sales engineers' demographics:

Product Sales EngineerInside Sales Engineer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 74.8% Female, 25.2%Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between product sales engineer and inside sales engineer duties and responsibilities

Product sales engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage inbound domestic and international logistics and domestic shipping with respect to carrier selection, forwarding, brokering and expediting.
  • Maintain opportunity pipeline and sales forecast in CRM.
  • Stimulate customer satisfaction score (CSAT) from 55 to 85 out of 100 by CRM.
  • Close a key sale to a large OEM account that are pending for more than twelve months prior to employment.
  • Review project specifications and blueprints, determine best HVAC equipment, system design, and pricing for the RFP proposal response.
  • Maintain strong understanding of competitive HVAC equipment and gather pricing feedback from contractors and engineers.
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Inside sales engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage inbound domestic and international logistics and domestic shipping with respect to carrier selection, forwarding, brokering and expediting.
  • Provide technical contribution during the RFP / RFI process.
  • Write custom SQL reports for customers.
  • Utilize SQL to query databases while troubleshooting issues.
  • Design and configure computer systems for clients in the Pre-Sales mode.
  • Generate 3D renderings in AutoCAD and other design software for customer review.
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Product sales engineer vs inside sales engineer skills

Common product sales engineer skills
  • Product Sales, 19%
  • UL, 15%
  • Product Development, 6%
  • Sales Process, 6%
  • Trade Shows, 5%
  • CRM, 5%
Common inside sales engineer skills
  • Customer Service, 24%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%
  • CRM, 4%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 3%
  • Cleanliness, 3%
  • Distributors, 3%