Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between design manufacturing engineers and process 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 design manufacturing engineer, becoming a process engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a design manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $102,492, which is higher than the $82,443 average annual salary of a process engineer.
The top three skills for a design manufacturing engineer include CNC, continuous improvement and GD. The most important skills for a process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,492 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $49.27 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 127,555 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Design manufacturing engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,492 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $147,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design manufacturing engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between design manufacturing engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |