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The differences between manufacturing engineering interns and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a manufacturing engineering internship and a quality engineer. Additionally, a quality engineer has an average salary of $79,672, which is higher than the $53,047 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineering internship.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineering internship include continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and CAD. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,047 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $25.50 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 125,868 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A manufacturing engineering intern is responsible for assisting the manufacturing engineers on the plant's daily operations, analyzing the manufacturing process and procedures, and recommending strategic solutions to maximize productivity and minimize costs. Manufacturing engineering interns shadow the production staff, inspect the tools and equipment of the manufacturing, analyze the quality control documentation, and perform related administrative tasks to familiarize themselves with the plant structure. A manufacturing engineering intern must have excellent communication and organization skills, as well as the ability to adapt quickly to a fast-paced environment.
A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Manufacturing engineering interns and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $53,047 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $68,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kirkland, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Anheuser-Busch | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineering internship and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineering interns' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.3% Female, 18.7% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.1% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |