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The differences between supply chain 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 supply chain engineer, becoming a product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a product engineer has an average salary of $89,645, which is higher than the $84,229 average annual salary of a supply chain engineer.
The top three skills for a supply chain engineer include supply chain, lean six sigma and supply chain planning. The most important skills for a product engineer are CAD, product design, and project management.
| Supply Chain Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,229 | $89,645 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $43.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 53,744 | 157,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A supply chain engineer is an individual who manages the overall supply chain and logistics strategy of a company to maximize the process efficiency and productivity. Supply chain engineers must implement the overall supply chain strategy and suggest solutions for process improvements. They negotiate with suppliers, logistic service providers, and other chain partners about the purchase, packaging, and transporting of raw materials. Supply chain engineers can also work in a variety of industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, and energy.
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.
Supply chain engineers and product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Chain Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,229 | $89,645 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $113,000 | Between $68,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between a supply chain engineer and a product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Supply Chain Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between supply chain engineers' and product engineers' demographics:
| Supply Chain Engineer | Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.3% White, 66.0% 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 | 4% | 5% |