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The differences between senior product engineering managers and product engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a senior product engineering manager, becoming a product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior product engineering manager has an average salary of $140,924, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.
The top three skills for a senior product engineering manager include control systems, product management and java. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $140,924 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $67.75 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 148,558 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 48 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
The primary tasks of a senior product engineering manager include the design, prototype, authentication, and implementation of new products. Senior product engineering managers the capital plan and budget of the organization. They lead the efforts of technicians and engineers or other team members of the organization to ensure the successful completion of engineering projects. It is expected for them to possess skills and knowledge in project management, product development, application development, and process improvement.
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.
Senior product engineering managers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $140,924 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $205,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior product engineering manager and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior product engineering managers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 18.9% White, 66.3% 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 | 9% | 5% |