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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and lead design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a principal manufacturing engineer, becoming a lead design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead design engineer has an average salary of $108,490, which is higher than the $94,463 average annual salary of a principal manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a principal manufacturing engineer include CAD, continuous improvement and process control. The most important skills for a lead design engineer are CAD, project management, and lead design.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $108,490 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $52.16 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 118,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Principle Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for leading an organization's operations involved in reducing cost, increasing production capacity, and implementing new efficient processes. Their duties include developing production capacity cost and quality targets and implementing workforce utilization, workspace efficiency, workflow, and equipment layout. They also manage project milestones by working closely with internal groups and suppliers. Principle Manufacturing Engineers review production data gathered, supervise production process improvements, and assist in the accurate manufacturing documentation.
A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
Principal manufacturing engineers and lead design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $108,490 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $82,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ZS | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a lead design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and lead design engineers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 17.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |