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The differences between lean manufacturing engineers and lean six sigma black belts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a lean manufacturing engineer, becoming a lean six sigma black belt takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a lean six sigma black belt has an average salary of $88,305, which is higher than the $75,994 average annual salary of a lean manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a lean manufacturing engineer include lean manufacturing, kaizen events and process improvement. The most important skills for a lean six sigma black belt are lean six sigma, six sigma training, and lean sigma.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Lean SIX Sigma Black Belt | |
| Yearly salary | $75,994 | $88,305 |
| Hourly rate | $36.54 | $42.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,193 | 7,134 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Lean manufacturing engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for executing the lean manufacturing method, a process that reduces waste in a manufacturing system without sacrificing productivity. These engineers must utilize lean tools and train all plant personnel about using these tools to identify wastes and reduce costs. They must lead the process improvement teams to initiate activities that eliminate waste in all aspects of the operation. Lean manufacturing engineers must also perform cost or benefit analysts to determine the return of investment (ROI) of capital expenditures and project initiatives.
A Lead Six Sigma Black Belt specializes in designing and developing tools and systems to optimize company operations. Their responsibilities include applying principles in addressing and resolving issues and concerns, conducting research and analysis to understand the needs of the company and its projects, and developing strategies to optimize the workflow and workforce performance. Moreover, they provide technical advice to managers and staff, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Lean manufacturing engineers and lean six sigma black belts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Lean SIX Sigma Black Belt | |
| Average salary | $75,994 | $88,305 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $97,000 | Between $70,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | Broomfield, CO |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Stryker | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between a lean manufacturing engineer and a lean six sigma black belt in terms of educational background:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Lean SIX Sigma Black Belt | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | New York University |
Here are the differences between lean manufacturing engineers' and lean six sigma black belts' demographics:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Lean SIX Sigma Black Belt | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 11.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |