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The differences between material engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material engineer has an average salary of $86,258, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a material engineer include DOD, failure analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Material Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,258 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $41.47 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 89,717 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Materials engineers are responsible for developing, processing, and testing materials used to create a wide variety of products. These professionals study and evaluate the properties and structure of different materials, including plastics, metal, ceramics, and composites, to create new products. They also perform other tasks that include providing technical advice on suitable materials, diagnosing faults, and providing advice on planning and conducting inspections, repairs, and maintenance. Additionally, they may also oversee the work of other scientists like technicians and evaluate the technical and economic factors surrounding the design aspects of products.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Material engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,258 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $113,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a material engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Material Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Materials Science And Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between material engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Material Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 5% |