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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a principal manufacturing engineer and a manufacturing engineer. Additionally, a principal manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $94,463, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a principal manufacturing engineer include CAD, continuous improvement and process control. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Principal manufacturing engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ZS | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| 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, 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 | 5% | 5% |