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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and production 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 production engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $94,463, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a principal manufacturing engineer include CAD, continuous improvement and process control. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
Principal manufacturing engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ZS | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |