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The differences between manufacturing test 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 test engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a manufacturing test engineer has an average salary of $98,285, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing test engineer include test equipment, labview and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,285 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $47.25 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,188 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A manufacturing test engineer specializes in designing and developing test structures to ensure the quality of products according to the company's policies and standards. Their responsibilities include coordinating with the design team to determine test parameters, producing test documentation, troubleshooting, and performing quality assurance procedures. A manufacturing test engineer must also assess the existing test procedures to identify its strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions as needed. Furthermore, they may assist the quality assurance teams in conducting tests, all while enforcing the company's 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 test engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,285 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $134,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing test engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing test engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.7% 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% |