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The differences between manufacturing consultants and industrial engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a manufacturing consultant and an industrial engineer. Additionally, a manufacturing consultant has an average salary of $86,698, which is higher than the $76,501 average annual salary of an industrial engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing consultant include business process, enterprise resource planning and gap analysis. The most important skills for an industrial engineer are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and sigma.
| Manufacturing Consultant | Industrial Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,698 | $76,501 |
| Hourly rate | $41.68 | $36.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 40,993 | 46,756 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Manufacturing Consultants play an essential role in a company through their outside expertise and experience. They provide solutions and implement actions during the product development process and establish the infrastructure needed for manufacturing. Their duties typically include creating specifications for various components and assembly steps, determining production benchmarks, and optimizing manufacturing efficiency, reliability, and throughput. They are also responsible for providing support in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) development and training and formulating lean manufacturing methods.
An industrial engineer specializes in devising various systems to improve the workflow and the workforce in a manufacturing setting. One of their primary responsibilities is to understand all of the procedures in a manufacturing plant and develop strategies to resolve issues or improve production operations, such as designing a cost-efficient machine or system that will enhance the quality of goods and boost the productivity of workers. Moreover, it is also essential to adhere to all the company's policies and safety regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment for all employees.
Manufacturing consultants and industrial engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Consultant | Industrial Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,698 | $76,501 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $135,000 | Between $59,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Intel | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing consultant and an industrial engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Consultant | Industrial Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Business | Industrial Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing consultants' and industrial engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Consultant | Industrial Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 11.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 12.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |