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The differences between product specialists and product engineering managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a product specialist, becoming a product engineering manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a product engineering manager has an average salary of $125,592, which is higher than the $85,932 average annual salary of a product specialist.
The top three skills for a product specialist include customer service, product knowledge and sales floor. The most important skills for a product engineering manager are project management, product management, and product engineering.
| Product Specialist | Product Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $85,932 | $125,592 |
| Hourly rate | $41.31 | $60.38 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 103,863 | 148,619 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A product specialist is required to have excellent knowledge about a product and work with a business unit to ensure excellent product delivery. Product specialists perform product demonstrations to customers and other stakeholders and assist in their promotions and product releases. To gain increased revenue, product specialists must be able to identify new market opportunities. They are required to conduct product and sales training for the marketing team. They must also provide reports about their product-related activities to the management.
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.
Product specialists and product engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Specialist | Product Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $85,932 | $125,592 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $130,000 | Between $90,000 And $174,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ByteDance | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product specialist and a product engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Specialist | Product Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between product specialists' and product engineering managers' demographics:
| Product Specialist | Product Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 10.6% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |