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The differences between manufacturing controls engineers and manufacturing engineering technicians 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 controls engineer and a manufacturing engineering technician. Additionally, a manufacturing controls engineer has an average salary of $96,327, which is higher than the $53,219 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineering technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing controls engineer include PLC, CNC and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineering technician are continuous improvement, troubleshoot, and production equipment.
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $96,327 | $53,219 |
| Hourly rate | $46.31 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,699 | 99,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A manufacturing controls engineer ensures the manufacturing process of a plant is run efficiently and complies with all safety standards. Their role is to develop equipment to monitor and control efficiency of engineering systems and machinery, implement processes that will help manufacturers increase productivity, conduct research, test and analyze designs, and monitor the strategies implemented to ensure functionality. This position requires an engineering degree.
A manufacturing engineering technician is responsible for supporting the manufacturing processes of industrial operations by providing technical assistance on the design development procedures. Manufacturing engineering technicians inspect the efficiency and consistency of plans and perform multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that the product performs to its highest condition. They also recommend cost-reduction techniques while providing high-quality outputs and deliverables. A manufacturing engineering technician must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially on troubleshooting equipment and writing progress reports for reference.
Manufacturing controls engineers and manufacturing engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $96,327 | $53,219 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $125,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Idaho |
| Best paying company | JUUL | Lam Research |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing controls engineer and a manufacturing engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing controls engineers' and manufacturing engineering technicians' demographics:
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 10.1% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |