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The differences between failure analysis engineers and production engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a failure analysis engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a failure analysis engineer has an average salary of $91,071, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a failure analysis engineer include corrective action, failure analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,071 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $43.78 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 43,275 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A failure analysis engineer is responsible for conducting quality control checks on operational business processes, identifying inconsistencies and errors, and writing recommendations to address failures and increase efficiency. Failure analysis engineers analyze incident reports of operational issues, assisting the technology team in designing high-performing software applications and network systems to support business functions and requirements. They also support the end-users in resolving issues, writing resolution, and creating instructional manuals for reference. A failure analysis engineer should have excellent technical skills, as well as intensive knowledge of engineering products and services.
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.
Failure analysis engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,071 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $124,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a failure analysis engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between failure analysis engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 4% |