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The differences between tool design engineers and development engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a tool design engineer and a development engineer. Additionally, a development engineer has an average salary of $93,206, which is higher than the $76,918 average annual salary of a tool design engineer.
The top three skills for a tool design engineer include solidworks, jigs and GD. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Tool Design Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,918 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $36.98 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 114,478 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Tool Design Engineers are responsible for the design of new tools as well as making improvements to existing ones. They are responsible for drafting schematics and blueprints, determining tool specifications and production as well as carrying out calculations to establish tools cost, materials, and dimensions. Other duties include communicating with suppliers to implement tool modifications, tracking performance targets, and conducting cost budgeting. A good Tool Design Engineer aims to reduce tool breakdowns and minimize maintenance costs.
A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Tool design engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tool Design Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,918 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a tool design engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Tool Design Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between tool design engineers' and development engineers' demographics:
| Tool Design Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |