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The differences between laser 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 laser engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $85,319 average annual salary of a laser engineer.
The top three skills for a laser engineer include MATLAB, data collection and labview. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Laser Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,319 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $41.02 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,901 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A laser engineer is one who specializes in making and developing laser devices or machines that is for laser purposes. They supervises the laser team in operating and ensuring that all laser-related equipment is functioning well. They can also specialize in doing advanced optics or optic devices. Their responsibilities include the regular monitoring and optimization of laser outputs as well as finding out a reasonable solution on how to handles laser issues that will be arising.
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.
Laser engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laser Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,319 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $116,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Booz Allen Hamilton | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a laser engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Laser Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Physics | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between laser engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Laser Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 18.0% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |