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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and packaging 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 packaging engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $94,463, which is higher than the $88,452 average annual salary of a packaging engineer.
The top three skills for a principal manufacturing engineer include CAD, continuous improvement and process control. The most important skills for a packaging engineer are CAD, project management, and solidworks.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $88,452 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $42.52 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 54,028 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 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.
Principal manufacturing engineers and packaging engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $88,452 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $65,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ZS | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a packaging engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering And Industrial Management |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and packaging engineers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 13.1% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |