Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between operations engineers and process engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an operations engineer, becoming a process engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an operations engineer has an average salary of $91,522, which is higher than the $82,443 average annual salary of a process engineer.
The top three skills for an operations engineer include python, cloud and AWS. The most important skills for a process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Operations Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,522 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $44.00 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 155,188 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An operations engineer is an individual who is responsible for ensuring that the operations of a company are working properly in industries such as manufacturing or shipping. Operations engineers are required to handle repairs or upgrades to the company's machinery and coordinate with department heads to assist in fine-tuning their operations system. When they have upgraded their system, operations engineers should conduct training with managers as well as employees and other workers. They are also required to examine machinery for defects and communicate maintenance schedules with department heads.
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Operations engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,522 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $132,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an operations engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Operations Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between operations engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Operations Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |