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The differences between senior product development engineers and senior project 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 project engineer. Additionally, a senior product development engineer has an average salary of $98,348, which is higher than the $97,803 average annual salary of a senior project engineer.
The top three skills for a senior product development engineer include CAD, solidworks and product development. The most important skills for a senior project engineer are project management, construction management, and CAD.
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,348 | $97,803 |
| Hourly rate | $47.28 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 195,294 | 146,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 project engineer is responsible for monitoring the project team's overall process and operations from conceptualization until completion, ensuring the adherence to the clients' specifications, within the budget's goals, and the required deadline. Senior project engineers regularly communicate with the client regarding updates or necessary adjustments. They develop strategic procedures to finish the project efficiently by running diagnostic tests and troubleshooting discrepancies. A senior project engineer must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the team's performance and provide assistance when necessary.
Senior product development engineers and senior project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,348 | $97,803 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $126,000 | Between $77,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior product development engineer and a senior project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior product development engineers' and senior project engineers' demographics:
| Senior Product Development Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |