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What is a manufacturing project engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Andrea Welker Ph.D.,
Brian Denton Ph.D.

In recent years, manufacturing project engineers have become an integral part of modern manufacturing and production processes because of the important role they play in the factory. Manufacturing project engineers ensure that project costs are within the established budgets and that schedules adhere to the project plan. They plan and control the day-to-day activities within a project plan. They manage changes within a project and ensure that quality standards and safety standards are observed and adhered to during production. Manufacturing project engineers solve technical and commercial problems that arise during project.

Manufacturing project engineers earn an average annual salary of $79,188. The key qualities necessary for a prospective manufacturing project engineer include excellent IT skills, great organizational and decision-making skills, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work within budgets and deadlines.

What general advice would you give to a manufacturing project engineer?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.Andrea Welker Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.
ScoreManufacturing Project EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.4

Avg. Salary $82,447

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 12.66%

Black or African American 4.72%

Hispanic or Latino 11.59%

Unknown 3.95%

White 66.91%

Gender

female 9.45%

male 90.55%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Manufacturing project engineer career paths

Key steps to become a manufacturing project engineer

  1. Explore manufacturing project engineer education requirements

    Most common manufacturing project engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    74.2 %

    Associate

    12.2 %

    Master's

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific manufacturing project engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management11.27%
    Lean Manufacturing7.58%
    Capital Projects5.49%
    CAD5.49%
    Continuous Improvement5.05%
  3. Complete relevant manufacturing project engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New manufacturing project engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a manufacturing project engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manufacturing project engineer resumes.
  4. Research manufacturing project engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead several independent, cross-functional projects and improve manufacturing quality, reduce cost, ensure environment are supported and FDA compliant.
    • Perform risk analysis in accordance with ISO and cGMP requirements.
    • Design showroom booths, and displays using SolidWorks for the company showroom fairs.
    • Determine and assign equipment to be used, design tools and fixtures, write and debug CNC programs.
  5. Prepare your manufacturing project engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manufacturing project engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a manufacturing project engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable manufacturing project engineer resume templates

    Build a professional manufacturing project engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your manufacturing project engineer resume.
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Project Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for manufacturing project engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a manufacturing project engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first manufacturing project engineer job

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Average manufacturing project engineer salary

The average manufacturing project engineer salary in the United States is $82,447 per year or $40 per hour. Manufacturing project engineer salaries range between $59,000 and $113,000 per year.

Average manufacturing project engineer salary
$82,447 Yearly
$39.64 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do manufacturing project engineers rate their job?

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Manufacturing project engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022
Pros

Very challenging work because we work for physically ill person's and I think it is not a job it's a service for society from us.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Improve 5's & increase productivity, manpower reduction...n+/- concept..

Cons

Can be managed accordingly situation.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills

Cons

Stakeholders missing deadlines


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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