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The differences between research engineers and product development 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 engineer and a product development engineer. Additionally, a research engineer has an average salary of $96,945, which is higher than the $86,075 average annual salary of a product development engineer.
The top three skills for a research engineer include python, java and software development. The most important skills for a product development engineer are CAD, solidworks, and product development.
| Research Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,945 | $86,075 |
| Hourly rate | $46.61 | $41.38 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 136,763 | 202,155 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.
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.
Research engineers and product development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,945 | $86,075 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $138,000 | Between $64,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research engineer and a product development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Research Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between research engineers' and product development engineers' demographics:
| Research Engineer | Product Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 5% |