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The differences between manufacturing project engineers and design 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 project engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a manufacturing project engineer has an average salary of $82,447, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing project engineer include project management, lean manufacturing and capital projects. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,447 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $39.64 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 70,267 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A manufacturing project engineer specializes in designing and developing a variety of equipment and systems, ensuring compliance with the industry's laws and standards. It is their duty to determine and identify the needs of every project, conceptualize plans, coordinate with staff and other experts, create prototypes and test structures, and develop guidelines. They may also provide technical support, assess existing systems, and implement solutions when necessary. Furthermore, they must maintain an active communication line with the workforce while implementing the facility's safety policies and regulations.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Manufacturing project engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,447 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $113,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Cirrus Aircraft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing project engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing project engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 12.7% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |