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The differences between manufacturing engineering technicians and 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 technician, becoming a manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $78,522, which is higher than the $53,219 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineering technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineering technician include continuous improvement, troubleshoot and production equipment. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,219 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 99,347 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A manufacturing engineering technician is responsible for supporting the manufacturing processes of industrial operations by providing technical assistance on the design development procedures. Manufacturing engineering technicians inspect the efficiency and consistency of plans and perform multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that the product performs to its highest condition. They also recommend cost-reduction techniques while providing high-quality outputs and deliverables. A manufacturing engineering technician must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially on troubleshooting equipment and writing progress reports for reference.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Manufacturing engineering technicians and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $53,219 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $75,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | California |
| Best paying company | Lam Research | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineering technician and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineering technicians' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |