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The differences between semiconductor engineers and product 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 semiconductor engineer, becoming a product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a semiconductor engineer has an average salary of $96,951, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.
The top three skills for a semiconductor engineer include data analysis, RF and failure analysis. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Semiconductor Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,951 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $46.61 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 37,162 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
As a semiconductor engineer, your main job is to make semiconductors that are mostly made out of silicon. You have to create electrical products that enable the integration of workers, materials, and machines. Semiconductor engineers increase the efficiency of these semiconductors and develop new technologies for creating semiconductors for electric circuitry.
A product engineer specializes in designing and developing commercial materials and services. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis of the latest trends and marketing conditions to come up with new ideas and products for the public. Moreover, they are also responsible for producing reports and presentations, coordinating with the development team of their company. Product engineers also reach out to vendors and suppliers for the raw materials, set regulations and standards for the product, and even conduct a rigorous and regular quality check.
Semiconductor engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Semiconductor Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,951 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $134,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bothell, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Applied Materials | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a semiconductor engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Semiconductor Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between semiconductor engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Semiconductor Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.0% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |