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The differences between manufacturing engineers and process 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 process engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a process engineer has an average salary of $82,443, 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 process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,522 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $37.75 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 115,384 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| 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 Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Manufacturing engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,522 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $102,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |