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The differences between stress engineers and product engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a stress engineer, becoming a product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a stress engineer has an average salary of $107,036, which is higher than the $89,645 average annual salary of a product engineer.
The top three skills for a stress engineer include finite element analysis, structural analysis and autocad. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Stress Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,036 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $51.46 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 36,117 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A stress engineer specializes in conducting analysis and assessments on structures and components, mainly using stress to test its structural integrity. They may work in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and even medical. Although their duties may vary upon the industry, they are typically in charge of performing extensive research and analysis, coordinating with architects and engineers, designing and building prototypes, and maintaining records of all procedures. Furthermore, a stress engineer must produce detailed progress and findings reports in adherence to project deadlines and company policies.
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.
Stress engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Stress Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,036 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $156,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | CTS | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a stress engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Stress Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between stress engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Stress Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 19.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 8% | 5% |