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The differences between materials research engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a materials research engineer has an average salary of $87,100, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a materials research engineer include materials research, research projects and characterization techniques. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Materials Research Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,100 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $41.88 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 82,912 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A materials research engineer researches, processes, and develops test materials used to create a wide range of products. They must be good in analytical, mechanical, and math skills. They are likely to perform in their role such as formulating their own project concepts, executing technology projects about the development of novel polymer fiber-reinforced composites, and identifying unknown material compositions. Also, they implement powder processing equipment and manufacture tools to improve their efficiency and quality.
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.
Materials research engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Research Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,100 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $111,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beaverton, OR | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Nike | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a materials research engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Materials Research 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 materials research engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Materials Research Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | 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, 66.4% 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% |