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The differences between metallurgical engineers and production engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $82,916 average annual salary of a metallurgical engineer.
The top three skills for a metallurgical engineer include aluminum, failure analysis and corrective action. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Metallurgical Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,916 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $39.86 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 34,491 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A metallurgical engineer is responsible for evaluating the chemical and physical properties of alloys and metallic materials to be used for construction and other industrial purposes. Metallurgical engineers also design metals for automobile upgrades and designing alloys for electronics. They create cost-reduction initiative reports and improve extraction methodologies, supervising quality control procedures for high-quality deliverables. A metallurgical engineer inspects the quality of tools and equipment for the operations, strictly adhering to the safety standards and protocols of the organization to avoid potential hazards and delays in the workplace.
A production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
Metallurgical engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Metallurgical Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,916 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Tesoro | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a metallurgical engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Metallurgical Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Metallurgical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Washington | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between metallurgical engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Metallurgical Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.0% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |