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The differences between design manufacturing engineers and production 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 production engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a design manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $102,492, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a design manufacturing engineer include CNC, continuous improvement and GD. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,492 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $49.27 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 127,555 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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 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.
Design manufacturing engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,492 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $147,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design manufacturing engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between design manufacturing engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |