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The differences between manufacturing development engineers and design development 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 development engineer, becoming a design development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design development engineer has an average salary of $92,179, which is higher than the $77,888 average annual salary of a manufacturing development engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing development engineer include R, medical devices and sigma. The most important skills for a design development engineer are solidworks, FEA, and C++.
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,888 | $92,179 |
| Hourly rate | $37.45 | $44.32 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 105,577 | 174,870 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A manufacturing development engineer works to improve the process of making products. The responsibilities of this position are repairing equipment used in manufacturing, purchasing and installing manufacturing equipment, designing new procedures and systems, diagnosing problems with machinery, supervising other engineering and technical staff, and managing the budget for the development engineering staff. They are also responsible for designing, creating, and testing new products. This position requires a mechanical engineering or bioengineering degree.
Design development engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for testing products for various industries such as electronics and synthetic textiles. These engineers must collaborate with the research and development (R&D;) organization to carry out initial new product development projects. They are required to coordinate a project with clients and consultants to ensure the approval of project permits and construction feasibility. Design development engineers must also possess skills in using software such as SolidWorks to model complex product parts and components.
Manufacturing development engineers and design development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,888 | $92,179 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $105,000 | Between $68,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lumileds | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing development engineer and a design development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing development engineers' and design development engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Development Engineer | Design Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.0% Female, 16.0% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 12.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |