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The differences between manufacturing engineering interns and senior manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a manufacturing engineering internship, becoming a senior manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $93,853, 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 senior manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and sigma.
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Senior Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,047 | $93,853 |
| Hourly rate | $25.50 | $45.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 125,868 | 97,154 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 Senior Manufacturing Engineer works in a company's production operations and is responsible for developing and improving manufacturing processes. They analyze and propose solutions to engineering problems.
Manufacturing engineering interns and senior manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Senior Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $53,047 | $93,853 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $68,000 | Between $71,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kirkland, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Anheuser-Busch | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineering internship and a senior manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Senior Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineering interns' and senior manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineering Internship | Senior Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.3% Female, 18.7% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| 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, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |