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The differences between manufacturing engineers lead and production 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 lead, becoming a production engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, 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 production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,937 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $42.76 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 74,287 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
Manufacturing engineers lead and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,937 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $112,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineer lead and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineers lead' and production engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |