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The differences between manufacturing engineering technicians and process 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 technician and a process engineer. Additionally, a process engineer has an average salary of $82,443, 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 process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,219 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 99,347 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Manufacturing engineering technicians and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $53,219 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $75,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Lam Research | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineering technician and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineering technicians' and process engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| 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, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 4% |