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The differences between manufacturing project engineers and process improvement 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 project engineer and a process improvement engineer. Additionally, a process improvement engineer has an average salary of $82,473, 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 process improvement engineer are lean six sigma, sigma, and project management.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,447 | $82,473 |
| Hourly rate | $39.64 | $39.65 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 70,267 | 55,438 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
A process improvement engineer specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop new strategies and ideas to improve the processes in a manufacturing plant or a similar setting. They prioritize efficiency and profitability. Most of the time, engineers participate in a series of meetings where they coordinate with fellow engineers to determine opportunities for product growth and development. Moreover, a process improvement engineer is also responsible for crafting new policies and regulations, upgrading systems, and developing new practices to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction.
Manufacturing project engineers and process improvement engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,447 | $82,473 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $113,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Cirrus Aircraft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing project engineer and a process improvement engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | New York University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing project engineers' and process improvement engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |