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The differences between sustaining engineers and product developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a sustaining engineer, becoming a product developer takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product developer has an average salary of $88,629, which is higher than the $88,351 average annual salary of a sustaining engineer.
The top three skills for a sustaining engineer include troubleshoot, lean six sigma and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a product developer are product development, R, and develop user.
| Sustaining Engineer | Product Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,351 | $88,629 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $42.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 57,402 | 147,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 10 |
A sustaining engineer is responsible for monitoring industrial operations, including the efficiency of processes and the performance of tools and equipment, ensuring high-quality deliverables for business objectives. Sustaining engineers evaluate the safety and security of the operations, strategizing techniques to manage potential hazards that may cause delays in the production. They also work with the management to identify opportunities to maximize productivity and maintain cost-reduction procedures, especially on materials and equipment. A sustaining engineer handles operational issues, as well as assessing incident reports for immediate resolution.
A product developer is responsible for creating the designs of an industrial product based on the client's specifications and budget requirements. Product developers work closely with the whole design team to strategize and execute plans within the agreed timeframe. Product developers must be updated with the current industry trends, developing designs that would be competitive in the market, boosting the company's brand image to attract potential clients, and generate more revenues. A product developer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as utilizing various software tools to create high-quality designs.
Sustaining engineers and product developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sustaining Engineer | Product Developer | |
| Average salary | $88,351 | $88,629 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $114,000 | Between $63,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a sustaining engineer and a product developer in terms of educational background:
| Sustaining Engineer | Product Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between sustaining engineers' and product developers' demographics:
| Sustaining Engineer | Product Developer | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.1% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 10% |