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The differences between lean manufacturing engineers and process 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 process engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a process engineer has an average salary of $82,443, 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 process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,994 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $36.54 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,193 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Lean manufacturing engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,994 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $97,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Stryker | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lean manufacturing engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between lean manufacturing engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |