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The differences between product support engineers 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 support engineer and a senior product engineer. Additionally, a senior product engineer has an average salary of $101,685, 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 product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,379 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $43.45 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 201,554 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 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 support engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,379 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | 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 support engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product support engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Product Support Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| 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, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |