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The differences between lean manufacturing engineers and mechanical engineers 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 mechanical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lean manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $75,994, which is higher than the $75,352 average annual salary of a mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a lean manufacturing engineer include lean manufacturing, kaizen events and process improvement. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,994 | $75,352 |
| Hourly rate | $36.54 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 59,193 | 105,618 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.
Lean manufacturing engineers and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,994 | $75,352 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $97,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Stryker | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a lean manufacturing engineer and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lean manufacturing engineers' and mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |