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The differences between manufacturing engineers and software 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 software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,522 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $37.75 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 115,384 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| 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 software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Manufacturing engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,522 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $102,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |