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The differences between manufacturing engineers and maintenance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a manufacturing engineer, becoming a maintenance engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $78,522, which is higher than the $47,133 average annual salary of a maintenance engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineer include lean manufacturing, CAD and solidworks. The most important skills for a maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,522 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $37.75 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 115,384 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.
Manufacturing engineers and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,522 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $102,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 2% |