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The differences between senior product design engineers and tool 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 product design engineer and a tool engineer. Additionally, a senior product design engineer has an average salary of $102,291, which is higher than the $101,135 average annual salary of a tool engineer.
The top three skills for a senior product design engineer include CAD, solidworks and prototype. The most important skills for a tool engineer are python, java, and CAD.
| Senior Product Design Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,291 | $101,135 |
| Hourly rate | $49.18 | $48.62 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 175,933 | 98,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior product design engineer oversees system development, developing processes, and methodologies geared at promoting customer satisfaction. They are charged with analyzing and directing recommendations for resolving problems to fulfill client expectations. Their responsibilities include planning projects, conducting standard functional analysis of products to translate customer specification into product performance criteria, conducting benchmarking studies, and analyzing products' market performance to facilitate competitive delivery of designs.
A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
Senior product design engineers and tool engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Product Design Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,291 | $101,135 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $131,000 | Between $75,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior product design engineer and a tool engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Product Design Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior product design engineers' and tool engineers' demographics:
| Senior Product Design Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 15.4% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |