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The differences between advanced engineers and production engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an advanced engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $85,139 average annual salary of an advanced engineer.
The top three skills for an advanced engineer include C++, python and MATLAB. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Advanced Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,139 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $40.93 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 63,830 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of an advanced engineer primarily depend on their place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify project requirements, conceptualizing plans, designing and developing systems, establishing guidelines and goals, and creating strategies to optimize operations. They may also assess existing systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, an advanced engineer typically oversees staff performance and progress, all while enforcing the company's safety standards and regulations.
A production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
Advanced engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advanced Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,139 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $104,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an advanced engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Advanced Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between advanced engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Advanced Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |