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The differences between plastics engineers and packaging engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a packaging engineer has an average salary of $88,452, which is higher than the $80,304 average annual salary of a plastics engineer.
The top three skills for a plastics engineer include sigma, project management and extrusion. The most important skills for a packaging engineer are CAD, project management, and solidworks.
| Plastics Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,304 | $88,452 |
| Hourly rate | $38.61 | $42.52 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,267 | 54,028 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Plastics engineers must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and they will receive training opportunities that involve workshops and seminars to keep job skills current. This career requires skills in Sigma, project management, CAD, product quality, and product design. Those who choose this career path engage in manufacturing, fabrication, and end use testing of existing materials and the development of new processes, materials, and equipment.
A Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.
Plastics engineers and packaging engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plastics Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,304 | $88,452 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $106,000 | Between $65,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | Pfizer | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plastics engineer and a packaging engineer in terms of educational background:
| Plastics Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Plastics Engineering | Engineering And Industrial Management |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between plastics engineers' and packaging engineers' demographics:
| Plastics Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.3% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 13.1% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 4% |