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The differences between product support engineers and senior 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 support engineer and a senior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, 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 senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,379 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $43.45 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 201,554 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Product support engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,379 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a product support engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between product support engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |