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The differences between industrial process 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 an industrial process engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $73,891 average annual salary of an industrial process engineer.
The top three skills for an industrial process engineer include process design, sigma and autocad. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Industrial Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,891 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $35.52 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,144 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An industrial process Engineer develops, installs, and monitors the processes and pieces of equipment that transform raw materials into finished products. Besides researching and developing new equipment, industrial process engineers also monitor, test, and maintain equipment pieces in their working states. They complete documentation to indicate and ensure everything runs as per the highlighted protocols and regulations. These professionals ensure high productivity rates at all times by supervising industrial processes and working. Also, they update the industrial management and senior colleagues with data and reports.
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.
Industrial process engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,891 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $94,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an industrial process engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between industrial process engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Industrial Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 13.8% White, 66.8% 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% |