What is a manufacturing engineer and how to become one

Q: Are manufacturing engineers in demand?

Yes, manufacturing engineers are in demand. The demand is expected to go up over the next ten years. The overall job outlook for manufacturing engineer careers has been positive since 2004.

Q: How long does it take to become a manufacturing engineer?

It takes about four to five years to become a manufacturing engineer. To become a manufacturing engineer, a person must first complete a four-year bachelor's degree and typically have one year of work experience.

Q: Is manufacturing engineering a good career?

Yes, being a manufacturing engineer is a good career. Manufacturing engineering is a well-paying, well-regarded job with a strong career outlook. It is a promising career if you enjoy a challenging work environment with individual project work and team interaction. Manufacturing engineers have a high level of career satisfaction and generally stay in the profession long-term.

Q: What degree do you need to be a manufacturing engineer?

You need a bachelor's degree in manufacturing engineering to be a manufacturing engineer. This is generally the minimum requirement. However, bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and process engineering are also acceptable.

Q: What do manufacturing engineers do in their everyday job?

Manufacturing engineers design, install, maintain, and evaluate manufacturing processes and equipment in their everyday job. Manufacturing engineers often work with commercial or industrial designers to refine product designs to increase productivity and decrease costs.

Q: What education is required to be a manufacturing engineer?

A bachelor's degree is the educational requirement to become a manufacturing engineer. Students who wish to become manufacturing engineers typically pursue degrees in manufacturing engineering or related engineering fields of study.

Q: What is a manufacturing engineering degree?

A manufacturing engineering degree is the study of the design, implementation, and use of manufacturing equipment. In this degree, a person will learn to use the latest technologies and processes of manufacturing.

Q: What qualifications do you need to be a manufacturing engineer?

The qualifications needed to become a manufacturing engineer is at least a bachelor's degree. Students who wish to become manufacturing engineers typically pursue degrees in manufacturing engineering or related engineering fields of study.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

James Swisher,

Brian Denton Ph.D.

A manufacturing engineer works to improve industrial production processes. They use engineering, mathematics, and science to design and implement manufacturing systems that are safe, reliable, and cost-effective. Manufacturing engineers may develop new products, improve existing processes, and ensure quality standards. They collaborate with other engineers, technicians, and managers to optimize production methods, reduce waste, and increase productivity. Manufacturing engineers also use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create blueprints and models of production systems.

What general advice would you give to a manufacturing engineer?

James Swisher

Director of Continuing Education, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers

It's truly an exciting time to be an Industrial and Systems Engineer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects demand for ISEs to grow by 10% over the next ten years, which is much faster than the rate for all occupations. Firms across a broad range of industries will continue to focus on the skills that ISEs bring to improve efficiencies, enhance quality, and lower costs. In addition, ISEs bring skills in the related fields of big data, artificial intelligence, and project management that make them extremely valuable to organizations. ISEs ability to quickly make an impact in an organization also means that their potential for promotion is very good. It's a great profession to be in.

ScoreManufacturing EngineerUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,522

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 17.04%

Black or African American 4.30%

Hispanic or Latino 10.79%

Unknown 4.75%

White 62.83%

Gender

female 11.23%

male 88.77%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a manufacturing engineer?

Pros

Significant potential for career advancement and growth
High demand for skilled manufacturing engineers in many industries
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Potential for international travel and work experience
Satisfaction of seeing a product come to life through successful manufacturing

Cons

Long hours and potential for overtime or weekend work
High pressure environment with tight deadlines and quality expectations
May require frequent travel, which can be difficult for some individuals or families
High stress environment with a need for quick problem-solving skills
Can be physically demanding, requiring long periods of standing or working with heavy machinery

Key steps to become a manufacturing engineer

Explore manufacturing engineer education requirements

Most common manufacturing engineer degrees

Bachelor's

73.4 %

Associate

13.3 %

Master's

9.1 %

Start to develop specific manufacturing engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Lean Manufacturing	9.22%
CAD	6.19%
Solidworks	4.46%
Sigma	4.25%
Project Management	3.68%

Complete relevant manufacturing engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New manufacturing 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 engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manufacturing engineer resumes.

Gain additional manufacturing engineer certifications

Manufacturing engineer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific manufacturing engineer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for manufacturing engineers include Six Sigma Green Belt and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

More About Certifications

Research manufacturing engineer duties and responsibilities

Achieve 6 sigma process capability on a key manufacturing resource utilizing SPC and DFM principles.
Manage facility maintenance and repairs covering HVAC, plumbing, electric, chillers, and equipment maintenance and repairs.
Manage implementation of improve paste compounding (including extrusion) process.
Lead several independent, cross-functional projects and improve manufacturing quality, reduce cost, ensure environment are supported and FDA compliant.

Prepare your manufacturing engineer resume

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

Build a professional manufacturing 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 engineer resume.

Apply for manufacturing engineer jobs

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

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

How do manufacturing engineers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Manufacturing engineer reviews

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.

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

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.

Manufacturing engineer FAQs

What is a manufacturing engineer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a manufacturing engineer?

What are the pros and cons of being a manufacturing engineer?

Manufacturing engineer career paths

Key steps to become a manufacturing engineer

Explore manufacturing engineer education requirements

Most common manufacturing engineer degrees

Start to develop specific manufacturing engineer skills

Complete relevant manufacturing engineer training and internships

Gain additional manufacturing engineer certifications

Research manufacturing engineer duties and responsibilities

Prepare your manufacturing engineer resume

Choose from 10+ customizable manufacturing engineer resume templates

Apply for manufacturing engineer jobs

How did you land your first manufacturing engineer job

Average manufacturing engineer salary

How do manufacturing engineers rate their job?

Manufacturing engineer reviews

Manufacturing engineer FAQs

Are manufacturing engineers in demand?

How long does it take to become a manufacturing engineer?

Is manufacturing engineering a good career?

What degree do you need to be a manufacturing engineer?

What do manufacturing engineers do in their everyday job?

What education is required to be a manufacturing engineer?

What is a manufacturing engineering degree?

What qualifications do you need to be a manufacturing engineer?

Search for manufacturing engineer jobs

Manufacturing engineer jobs by state