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The differences between production engineers and product development engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a production engineer, becoming a product development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a production engineer include java, continuous improvement and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a product development engineer are CAD, solidworks, and product development.
| Production Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,727 | $86,075 |
| Hourly rate | $43.14 | $41.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 94,789 | 202,155 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.
Production engineers and product development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,727 | $86,075 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $125,000 | Between $64,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production engineer and a product development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Production Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between production engineers' and product development engineers' demographics:
| Production Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |