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The differences between manufacturing associate engineers and project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a manufacturing associate engineer, becoming a project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a project engineer has an average salary of $75,050, which is higher than the $74,120 average annual salary of a manufacturing associate engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing associate engineer include process control, CAD and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Manufacturing Associate Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,120 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $35.63 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 59,464 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
An associate manufacturing engineer is in charge of creating methods and strategies to optimize the design and development of manufacturing procedures, typically working alongside manufacturing engineers. Among their responsibilities include performing research and analysis, establishing guidelines and specifications, monitoring the budgets and processes, conducting maintenance checks, and keeping an active communication line with team members for a smooth and efficient workflow. Furthermore, an associate manufacturing engineer must promote and enforce the company's safety policies and regulations.
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Manufacturing associate engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Associate Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,120 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $90,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mahwah, NJ | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Masimo | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing associate engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Associate Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between manufacturing associate engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Associate Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 12.2% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |