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The differences between graduate engineers and manufacturing 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 graduate engineer, becoming a manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $78,522, which is higher than the $70,395 average annual salary of a graduate engineer.
The top three skills for a graduate engineer include civil 3d, cost estimates and project management. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Graduate Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,395 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $33.84 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 98,584 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A graduate engineer can work in different engineering subspecialties, such as mechanical, civil, chemical, aerospace, and electrical. Most graduate engineers work on projects while under the supervision and directives of a supervisor or senior engineer. Their duties usually involve identifying and understanding project requirements, conducting research and assessments, completing surveys, and preparing models using different tools and software. Additionally, a graduate engineer can also create designs and prototypes according to project requirements and guidelines, producing regular progress reports for supervisors.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Graduate engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,395 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $89,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a graduate engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between graduate engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Graduate Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 24.9% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |