What Is a Product Development Engineer, and How Do I Become One?

Product development engineers work with companies to bring ideas to life by designing and testing products to meet client specifications. Working in this field means you have excellent problem-solving abilities, are innovative, and have technical expertise. 

Explore what a product development engineer does, the career outlook, and the potential salary. You'll also be able to follow the steps to make a start in this career. You’ll discover possible degree options, necessary experience, and useful certifications. 

What does a product development engineer do?

As a product development engineer, you create, design, and test products according to the requirements of the companies you work with. You work closely with the market research team and consult with business leaders to conceptualize and create products that they need. Your work often includes supervising a design team and pulling together each element of the design process. You also work to improve and test existing products, developing new and better versions. 

Which industries do product development engineers work in?

Product development engineers work in any industry involved in manufacturing products. With a good understanding of the product life cycle, you can choose an industry that matches your interests or experience and gain the necessary technical skills. Examples include pharmaceuticals, mechanics, technology, construction, and even toys. 

Duties and responsibilities of a product development engineer

The duties and responsibilities of a product development engineer vary according to the industry you work in and the company you work for. In general, some common tasks that fall to all product development engineers include:

• Managing projects through the product lifecycle stages from conceptualization, design,  development, and testing

• Working with the market research department to identify gaps in the market and products that need improvement

• Creating prototypes based on company specifications

• Debugging and testing products

• Improving product performance through market research, product testing, and prototype feedback

• Working with suppliers to source materials at a good cost

• Ensuring compliance with industry standards and requirements

• Managing the design team

Product development engineer skills

Product development engineer is a technical role, but you also need a number of workplace skills to be successful. Essential skills include:

Technical skills

• Project management

• Product design

• Regulations and industry standards

• Mechanical engineering

• Process engineering

• Computer-aided design (CAD)

• Math

Workplace skills

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Problem-solving 

• Creativity

• Attention to detail

• Analytical

• Research

Read more: What Are Job Skills and Why Do They Matter?

Product development engineer salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, the average annual product development engineer base salary in the US is $119,150 [1]. According to Payscale, your salary can be anywhere from an average of $69,913 if you’re just starting out in your career to $112,616 with 20 years of experience [2]. 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the career outlook for industrial designers as a whole will grow by 2 percent between 2022 and 2032, equating to approximately 2,200 new job openings per year [3]. 

Similar roles 

You’ll find a number of similar roles to a product development engineer and also alternative titles if you would like to expand your search. Some examples and their average annual salaries include:

• Manufacturing design engineer: $106,192

• Industrial designer: $83,912

• Manufacturing engineer: $92,801

• Mechanical project engineer: $101,348

• Automotive product design engineer: $112,038

• Senior scientist: $115,126

• Product design engineer: $114,454

*All salary information is sourced from Glassdoor as of October 2024.

Read more: What Degree Do You Need to Be an Engineer?

How to become a product development engineer

If you think this role is for you, you’ll find a number of steps to take to meet the requirements for the position. Engineers are highly educated, with experience in the field and excellent technical skills. 

1. Obtain a degree.

The minimum requirement for a product development engineer is a bachelor’s degree with a relevant major, such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or product design engineering. For higher-paid positions, you may consider opting for a master’s degree or even a doctoral degree.

Read more: Types of Engineering Degrees: Your Guide

2. Get experience.

Experience is key when starting your career in product development engineering. Employers generally expect two to four years of experience in a relevant field, which you can achieve through positions such as entry-level engineer, quality control specialist, or internship. 

3. Build skills.

Certain skills are essential to this role and are developed through degree coursework, self-directed learning, and experience. Workplace skills such as communication, problem-solving, and creative thinking are important, but you also need to hone your technical skills, particularly those related to the types of products you intend to work in. Learning skills like project management and design skills like CAD and Solidworks are vital to the role, as is having a full understanding of the product development lifecycle.

Online courses are a great place to start and bolster your resume. You might take a look at Digital Project Management Specialization, delivered by the University of Virginia, as an example.

4. Get certified. 

Along with taking online courses that give you a certificate, you might also consider a certification in engineering, design, or project management. Examples include:

• Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE)

• Six Sigma Green Belt 

• AIGA Professional Design Certification

Career progression 

Career advancement for a product development engineer is possible by moving into more senior roles or a different type of engineering role. Examples of potential career paths include:

• Product development engineer → Mechanical engineer → Senior mechanical engineer

• Product development engineer → Senior product development engineer → Product development manager

• Product development engineer → Product engineer → Senior product engineer 

Technical advancement, a focus on innovation, and certain trends, such as ecological design formats, mean the future of product development engineering is looking good.

Getting started with Coursera

Product development engineers contribute to the various phases of the product development process, including research and design. With the necessary skills and education, you can become a product development engineer and start building unique products. 

On Coursera you can find highly rated courses to gain valuable skills and work toward a career as a product development engineer, such as this Mathematics for Engineers Specialization.