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The differences between product support engineers and systems 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 systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a product support engineer has an average salary of $90,379, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a product support engineer include product support, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Product Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,379 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $43.45 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 201,554 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Product support engineers and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,379 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a product support engineer and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between product support engineers' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Product Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |