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The differences between project development engineers and production engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a project development engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $85,059 average annual salary of a project development engineer.
The top three skills for a project development engineer include renewable energy, project management and cost estimates. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Project Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,059 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $40.89 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,300 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A project development engineer designs and develops projects according to the client or company's goals and requirements. They typically perform extensive research and analysis, establish prototypes and test structures, coordinate with fellow experts, and study existing projects to identify their strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against problem areas. They may also provide technical guidance and support to staff, train junior engineers, and develop strategies to optimize project operations. Moreover, a project development engineer must maintain an active communication line with teams while enforcing safety policies and project regulations.
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.
Project development engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,059 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $110,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project development engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between project development engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Project Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |