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The differences between supplier development engineers and 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 supplier development engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, which is higher than the $89,484 average annual salary of a supplier development engineer.
The top three skills for a supplier development engineer include supplier development, supply chain and sigma. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Supplier Development Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,484 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $43.02 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 88,396 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
The job of a supplier development engineer is to source, negotiate, and buy goods, services, and materials in order to meet an organization's operational requirements. You will supervise teams in developing new supply sources to improve the company's cost competitiveness. Typical duties include researching entrepreneurial companies to identify potential suppliers and sources, assessing new and existing supplier capabilities to meet cost, product, capacity, and quality, and driving improvements using lean methodologies. You will also perform benchmarking studies to determine future trends and best practices.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Supplier development engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supplier Development Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,484 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $113,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Fort Bend County | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a supplier development engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Supplier Development Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between supplier development engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Supplier Development Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |