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The differences between research and development engineers and product design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a research and development engineer and a product design engineer. Additionally, a research and development engineer has an average salary of $100,169, which is higher than the $94,827 average annual salary of a product design engineer.
The top three skills for a research and development engineer include python, R and solidworks. The most important skills for a product design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Research And Development Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,169 | $94,827 |
| Hourly rate | $48.16 | $45.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 187,910 | 170,485 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
A Product Design Engineer designs new products that customers will want to purchase. They are responsible for designing, modeling, and testing prototypes for products.
Research and development engineers and product design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research And Development Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,169 | $94,827 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $135,000 | Between $69,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research and development engineer and a product design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Research And Development Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between research and development engineers' and product design engineers' demographics:
| Research And Development Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.2% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |