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The differences between manufacturing engineers lead 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 lead and a manufacturing manager. Additionally, a manufacturing manager has an average salary of $101,712, 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 manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and production schedules.
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $88,937 | $101,712 |
| Hourly rate | $42.76 | $48.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 74,287 | 40,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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.
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 lead and manufacturing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Average salary | $88,937 | $101,712 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $112,000 | Between $71,000 And $145,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer lead and a manufacturing manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers lead' and manufacturing managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| 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, 3.9% 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% |