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The differences between production support engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a production support engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, which is higher than the $78,599 average annual salary of a production support engineer.
The top three skills for a production support engineer include java, infrastructure and linux. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Production Support Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,599 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $37.79 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 194,203 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Product support engineers are in charge of managing the technical requests ordered by the customer. Their primary role is to repair and resolve errors, constantly register details for later reports, and update customers with the improvements. They help other engineers by enhancing processes and assisting in product development. Also, they provide recommendations for feature improvements and efficiency enhancement based on the customers' preference. These specialists are critical and analytical thinkers as well as technical experts. They are able to communicate well to customers while doing multiple tasks and pay attention to detail to track errors and record them.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Production support engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Support Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,599 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $107,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production support engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Production Support Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between production support engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Production Support Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |