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The differences between senior product development 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 product development engineer and a senior product engineer. Additionally, a senior product engineer has an average salary of $101,685, which is higher than the $98,348 average annual salary of a senior product development engineer.
The top three skills for a senior product development engineer include CAD, solidworks and product development. The most important skills for a senior product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,348 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $47.28 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 195,294 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A product development engineer designs and develops new products in adherence to project goals and guidelines. They primarily perform research and assessments to identify and understand project requirements, select materials, develop drafts, create blueprints and prototypes, establish test structures for quality assurance, and facilitate upgrades as necessary. They can also produce product specifications and provide technical support to staff as necessary. Most product development engineers work in a team environment, which requires an open communication line for an efficient workflow.
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 product development engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,348 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $126,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Cloudflare |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior product development engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior product development engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.5% White, 68.0% 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% |