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The differences between cost engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a cost engineer, becoming a manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cost engineer has an average salary of $87,901, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a cost engineer include project management, cost analysis and construction management. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Cost Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,901 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $42.26 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 65,278 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A cost engineer is responsible for projecting cost and expenses reports for the production process, identify and mitigate risks, and develop strategic techniques to reduce the excessive financial loss for project buildings. Cost engineers conduct data and statistical analysis to measure time deliverables and quality checks to ensure profitability and adherence to business objectives. They research and negotiate materials from trusted suppliers and vendors with high-quality products that would meet construction designs and client specifications.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Cost engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cost Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,901 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $120,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cost engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Cost Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between cost engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Cost Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |