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The differences between lean manufacturing engineers and process improvement 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 improvement engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a process improvement engineer has an average salary of $82,473, 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 improvement engineer are lean six sigma, sigma, and project management.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,994 | $82,473 |
| Hourly rate | $36.54 | $39.65 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,193 | 55,438 |
| 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 process improvement engineer specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop new strategies and ideas to improve the processes in a manufacturing plant or a similar setting. They prioritize efficiency and profitability. Most of the time, engineers participate in a series of meetings where they coordinate with fellow engineers to determine opportunities for product growth and development. Moreover, a process improvement engineer is also responsible for crafting new policies and regulations, upgrading systems, and developing new practices to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction.
Lean manufacturing engineers and process improvement engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,994 | $82,473 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $97,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Stryker | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lean manufacturing engineer and a process improvement engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| 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 process improvement engineers' demographics:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| 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, 10.5% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |