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The differences between advanced quality 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 quality engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $83,426 average annual salary of an advanced quality engineer.
The top three skills for an advanced quality engineer include PPAP, ISO and APQP. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Advanced Quality Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,426 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $40.11 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 87,518 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The job of Advanced Quality Engineers involve facilitating quality deliverables for new program launches. They ensure the manufacturing and engineering processes are properly performed with the right tools. They develop and validate new product testing and submit documentation to the customer for product approval. It is part of their job to coordinate external and internal resource activities. They also conduct package-level testing and wafer-level reliability for technology qualifications.
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 quality engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advanced Quality Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $83,426 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $107,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an advanced quality engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Advanced Quality Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between advanced quality engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Advanced Quality Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.4% White, 67.1% 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% |