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What is a design manufacturing engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Jerry Leth,
Brian Denton Ph.D.

Design manufacturing engineers are responsible for developing efficient systems, processes, and machines that result in high-quality products. They study the requirements for each production process and product at hand and determine the most efficient operations based on these requirements. Design manufacturing engineers earn an average salary of $76,000 annually or $36 per hour.

Design manufacturing engineers work to improve the process of making products such as food and drink. They design equipment, processes, procedures, and systems. These engineers purchase, install, and repair equipment and make improvements to current operations to enhance efficiency. They also maintain statistical and financial records and liaise with suppliers, customers, and research and development staff.

Design manufacturing engineers typically hold a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or a similar discipline. They are expected to have proven experience as a design manufacturer or a related field. Some employers prefer candidates who have achieved chartered status with the engineering council, as this will help to demonstrate their professionalism and commitment to the field.

What general advice would you give to a design manufacturing engineer?

Jerry LethJerry Leth LinkedIn profile

VP/General Manager, MANA

We are the Manufacturers' Agents National Association, a trade association of independent manufacturers' representative businesses. We will address this question from that perspective.
To a recent college graduate, a question I pose is, "Am I going to be happier and more satisfied working for someone? Or would I be more satisfied if I embarked on a path that leads me to own my own business?"
If the answer is owning your own business, consider looking for employment as an outside salesperson for an existing manufacturers' representative business. Our average member employs six outside salespersons, and the largest employs 160. Starting out as an employee provides an opportunity to learn about the business while earning an income. When you are ready, many manufacturers' representative firms offer ownership opportunities to employees, or you may choose to move on and start your own business. Either way, you achieve your goal of owning and running your own business.
ScoreDesign Manufacturing EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $102,492

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 12.57%

Black or African American 3.48%

Hispanic or Latino 9.66%

Unknown 4.62%

White 69.56%

Gender

female 5.32%

male 94.68%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Design manufacturing engineer career paths

Key steps to become a design manufacturing engineer

  1. Explore design manufacturing engineer education requirements

    Most common design manufacturing engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.7 %

    Associate

    18.6 %

    Master's

    7.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific design manufacturing engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CNC8.27%
    Continuous Improvement6.10%
    GD4.75%
    Engineering Drawings4.18%
    DFM3.96%
  3. Complete relevant design manufacturing engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New design manufacturing engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a design manufacturing engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real design manufacturing engineer resumes.
  4. Research design manufacturing engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead several independent, cross-functional projects and improve manufacturing quality, reduce cost, ensure environment are supported and FDA compliant.
    • Facilitate the new and current manufacturing process to reduce manufacturing costs, final BOM cost, and part count.
    • Support production manager by releasing work orders, assigning CNC and manual milling jobs and keeping production running within schedule time.
    • Produce and maintain a library of bill of material (BOM's) for any component, sub-assembly or final assembly.
  5. Prepare your design manufacturing engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your design manufacturing engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a design manufacturing engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable design manufacturing engineer resume templates

    Build a professional design manufacturing engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your design manufacturing engineer resume.
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
    Design Manufacturing Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for design manufacturing engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a design manufacturing engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first design manufacturing engineer job

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Average design manufacturing engineer salary

The average design manufacturing engineer salary in the United States is $102,492 per year or $49 per hour. Design manufacturing engineer salaries range between $71,000 and $147,000 per year.

Average design manufacturing engineer salary
$102,492 Yearly
$49.27 hourly

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Design manufacturing engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023
Pros

It can gurantee you a good salary and if you are creative you can do many things.

Cons

you have to be creative.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills

Cons

Stakeholders missing deadlines


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Being on the field doing running inspections and learning from the technicians

Cons

Being expose to bad weather that compromise the safety of operations.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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