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The differences between lean manufacturing engineers and production 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 production engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, 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 production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,994 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $36.54 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,193 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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 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.
Lean manufacturing engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,994 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $97,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Stryker | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lean manufacturing engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between lean manufacturing engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Lean Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |