Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between manufacturing test engineers and project 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 project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a manufacturing test engineer has an average salary of $98,285, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing test engineer include test equipment, labview and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,285 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $47.25 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,188 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Manufacturing test engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,285 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $134,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing test engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between manufacturing test engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Test Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |