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The differences between manufacturing leaders and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a manufacturing leader and a manufacturing engineer. Additionally, a manufacturing leader has an average salary of $89,761, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing leader include lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and GMP. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Manufacturing Leader | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,761 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 87,299 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A manufacturing leader or production leader is someone who takes charge of the manufacturer's production process. Manufacturing leaders plan, organize, and establish a recommendation for manufacturing strategies. They make sure that products are successfully developed based on the specifications. They supervise the teams working in product development and operations. It is part of their job to ensure great production management. They study successes and failures and emphasize growth. Also, they inspire and engage staff at every level of the manufacturing process.
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 leaders and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Leader | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,761 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $126,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing leader and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Leader | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between manufacturing leaders' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Leader | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.3% 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% |