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The differences between tool design engineers and product design 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 product design engineer. Additionally, a product design engineer has an average salary of $94,827, 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 product design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Tool Design Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,918 | $94,827 |
| Hourly rate | $36.98 | $45.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 114,478 | 170,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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 Product Design Engineer designs new products that customers will want to purchase. They are responsible for designing, modeling, and testing prototypes for products.
Tool design engineers and product design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tool Design Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,918 | $94,827 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $69,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a tool design engineer and a product design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Tool Design Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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 product design engineers' demographics:
| Tool Design Engineer | Product Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.2% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |