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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and manufacturing engineering managers 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 manufacturing engineering manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineering manager has an average salary of $112,535, 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 manufacturing engineering manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and project management.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $112,535 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $54.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 83,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 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 engineering managers manage manufacturing process development and enforcement. The managers maintain the proper functionality of a product and the efficiency of cost. They ensure the cohesive work between manufacturing departments and the engineering team. Their main responsibility is to design and operate integrated systems for economically competitive and high-quality products. They need to have skills in teamwork, technical knowledge, information technology, and commercial awareness. It is also necessary for them to have strong leadership skills.
Principal manufacturing engineers and manufacturing engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $112,535 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $81,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ZS | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a manufacturing engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and manufacturing engineering managers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Manufacturing Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |