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What is a manufacturing development engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Jerry Leth

A manufacturing development engineer is involved primarily in the planning, design, processing, and maintenance of a company's line of products. They work with the research and development department in conceptualizing new products, testing prototypes and product designs, and defining the processes involved in the manufacturing of these products.

Other duties of a manufacturing development engineer involve improving the processes of existing products, overseeing the repair and maintenance of manufacturing equipment, and enhancing the production efficiency of the product line. They are required to have knowledge and experience in using 3D modeling software and technical writing programs.

Some of the qualifications needed from a manufacturing development engineer are a bachelor's degree in engineering, previous experience in manufacturing development, and knowledge of quality control and safety practices. They should be creative, innovative, and good at collaboration and teamwork.

A manufacturing development engineer may work in production industries such as pharmaceuticals, aeronautics, and food and retail manufacturing.

What general advice would you give to a manufacturing development engineer?

Jerry LethJerry Leth LinkedIn profile

VP/General Manager, MANA

We are the Manufacturers' Agents National Association, a trade association of independent manufacturers' representative businesses. We will address this question from that perspective.
To a recent college graduate, a question I pose is, "Am I going to be happier and more satisfied working for someone? Or would I be more satisfied if I embarked on a path that leads me to own my own business?"
If the answer is owning your own business, consider looking for employment as an outside salesperson for an existing manufacturers' representative business. Our average member employs six outside salespersons, and the largest employs 160. Starting out as an employee provides an opportunity to learn about the business while earning an income. When you are ready, many manufacturers' representative firms offer ownership opportunities to employees, or you may choose to move on and start your own business. Either way, you achieve your goal of owning and running your own business.
ScoreManufacturing Development EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $77,888

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 12.91%

Black or African American 4.62%

Hispanic or Latino 11.34%

Unknown 3.93%

White 67.03%

Gender

female 15.96%

male 84.04%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Manufacturing development engineer career paths

Key steps to become a manufacturing development engineer

  1. Explore manufacturing development engineer education requirements

    Most common manufacturing development engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.3 %

    Master's

    13.9 %

    Associate

    9.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific manufacturing development engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    R6.00%
    Medical Devices5.72%
    Sigma5.50%
    Continuous Improvement5.28%
    Lean Manufacturing5.26%
  3. Complete relevant manufacturing development engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New manufacturing development engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a manufacturing development engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manufacturing development engineer resumes.
  4. Research manufacturing development engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Collaborate with internal company users to manage software and database improvements.
    • Participate in FDA and ISO audits of production operations and records.
    • Implement systems at division level to obtain compliance with corporate and FDA requirements.
    • Develop vision measuring tool to inspect parts and roll data into Solidworks to display data as 3d models.
  5. Prepare your manufacturing development engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manufacturing development engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a manufacturing development engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable manufacturing development engineer resume templates

    Build a professional manufacturing development engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your manufacturing development engineer resume.
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Development Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for manufacturing development engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a manufacturing development engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first manufacturing development engineer job

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Average manufacturing development engineer salary

The average manufacturing development engineer salary in the United States is $77,888 per year or $37 per hour. Manufacturing development engineer salaries range between $57,000 and $105,000 per year.

Average manufacturing development engineer salary
$77,888 Yearly
$37.45 hourly

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How do manufacturing development engineers rate their job?

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Manufacturing development engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Improve 5's & increase productivity, manpower reduction...n+/- concept..

Cons

Can be managed accordingly situation.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills

Cons

Stakeholders missing deadlines


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Being on the field doing running inspections and learning from the technicians

Cons

Being expose to bad weather that compromise the safety of operations.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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