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The differences between senior engineers and senior product 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 senior engineer and a senior product engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $101,685 average annual salary of a senior product engineer.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a senior product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Senior Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
A senior product engineer specializes in optimizing product designs and manufacturing procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They are typically in charge of performing market research and analysis, utilizing the results as a basis in designing new products and upgrading existing designs. Moreover, they coordinate with product development teams to cultivate ideas, develop prototypes and test structures, and oversee the material selection that will make the products possible. As a senior product engineer, it is essential to monitor the entire progress and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Cloudflare |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |