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The differences between product support engineers and technical support 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 technical support engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a product support engineer has an average salary of $90,379, which is higher than the $85,716 average annual salary of a technical support engineer.
The top three skills for a product support engineer include product support, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a technical support engineer are technical support, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Product Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,379 | $85,716 |
| Hourly rate | $43.45 | $41.21 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 201,554 | 184,542 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| 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.
A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Product support engineers and technical support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,379 | $85,716 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $61,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product support engineer and a technical support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between product support engineers' and technical support engineers' demographics:
| Product Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 11% |