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The differences between manufacturing engineers lead and manufacturing engineering managers 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 lead, becoming a manufacturing engineering manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineering manager has an average salary of $112,535, which is higher than the $88,937 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer lead.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineer lead include lean manufacturing, sigma and CAD. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineering manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and project management.
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $88,937 | $112,535 |
| Hourly rate | $42.76 | $54.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 74,287 | 83,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Lead manufacturing engineers are responsible for assisting with new product expansion, product introduction, and pricing out planning for existing product lines alongside the implementation of engineering processes and principles. They help with the technical coordination between division and group leading manufacturing locations beyond the present site. Their duties include implementing manufacturing engineering to provide superior technical output promptly. Also, they fulfill technical subject matter competence, assist with the growth of organizational engineering or technical skills to reach the division and site strategies, as well as aid in the training for receiving and sending sites.
Manufacturing engineering managers manage manufacturing process development and enforcement. The managers maintain the proper functionality of a product and the efficiency of cost. They ensure the cohesive work between manufacturing departments and the engineering team. Their main responsibility is to design and operate integrated systems for economically competitive and high-quality products. They need to have skills in teamwork, technical knowledge, information technology, and commercial awareness. It is also necessary for them to have strong leadership skills.
Manufacturing engineers lead and manufacturing engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $88,937 | $112,535 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $112,000 | Between $81,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer lead and a manufacturing engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers lead' and manufacturing engineering managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |