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The differences between manufacturing project engineers and manufacturing engineering managers 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 manufacturing engineering manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineering manager has an average salary of $112,535, which is higher than the $82,447 average annual salary of a manufacturing project engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing project engineer include project management, lean manufacturing and capital projects. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineering manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and project management.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $82,447 | $112,535 |
| Hourly rate | $39.64 | $54.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 70,267 | 83,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
Manufacturing engineering managers manage manufacturing process development and enforcement. The managers maintain the proper functionality of a product and the efficiency of cost. They ensure the cohesive work between manufacturing departments and the engineering team. Their main responsibility is to design and operate integrated systems for economically competitive and high-quality products. They need to have skills in teamwork, technical knowledge, information technology, and commercial awareness. It is also necessary for them to have strong leadership skills.
Manufacturing project engineers and manufacturing engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $82,447 | $112,535 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $113,000 | Between $81,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Cirrus Aircraft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing project engineer and a manufacturing engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between manufacturing project engineers' and manufacturing engineering managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 9% |