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The differences between product support engineers and project lead engineers 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 support engineer, becoming a project lead engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $90,379 average annual salary of a product support engineer.
The top three skills for a product support engineer include product support, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Product Support Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,379 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $43.45 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 201,554 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A product support engineer is responsible for resolving technical issues of end-users regarding the products and services offered by the company. Product support engineers conduct troubleshooting operations for system failures and write resolution reports for reference. They also support the product analysts in improving the product's features and processes to prevent the reoccurrence of defects and maintain optimal performance. A product support engineer designs automation procedures and runs multiple diagnostic tests to ensure high-quality outputs and avoid operational delays.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Product support engineers and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,379 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a product support engineer and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product support engineers' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Product Support Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 13.0% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |