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The differences between manufacturing engineers and manufacturing managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a manufacturing engineer and a manufacturing manager. Additionally, a manufacturing manager has an average salary of $101,712, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineer include lean manufacturing, CAD and solidworks. The most important skills for a manufacturing manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and production schedules.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $78,522 | $101,712 |
| Hourly rate | $37.75 | $48.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 115,384 | 40,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 manufacturing manager is an individual who manages the day-to-day operations of the organization's production process to ensure that all workers and departments meet the organization's productivity and efficiency standards. Manufacturing managers work under a department head and assist them in planning and directing an efficient equipment layout and material flow. They implement quality control programs that ensure finished products are in par with a certain standard. They also train manufacturing workers and monitor them to ensure that they meet performance and safety requirements.
Manufacturing engineers and manufacturing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Average salary | $78,522 | $101,712 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $102,000 | Between $71,000 And $145,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Bain & Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer and a manufacturing manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers' and manufacturing managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |