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The differences between design manufacturing engineers and lead design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a design manufacturing engineer and a lead design engineer. Additionally, a lead design engineer has an average salary of $108,490, which is higher than the $102,492 average annual salary of a design manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a design manufacturing engineer include CNC, continuous improvement and GD. The most important skills for a lead design engineer are CAD, project management, and lead design.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,492 | $108,490 |
| Hourly rate | $49.27 | $52.16 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,555 | 118,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A design manufacturing engineer specializes in designing and developing manufacturing systems and equipment. They primarily conduct research and analyses, develop drafts and prototypes, set and implement test systems, troubleshoot issues, and maintain extensive records. They may also assess existing systems to identify their weaknesses and strengths, fix or repair components, perform adjustments, and provide technical support to staff as necessary. Moreover, a design manufacturing engineer empowers staff to reach goals and implements safety standards and policies for a safe and productive work environment.
A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
Design manufacturing engineers and lead design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,492 | $108,490 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $147,000 | Between $82,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between a design manufacturing engineer and a lead design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design manufacturing engineers' and lead design engineers' demographics:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 12.6% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |