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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and senior process 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 senior process engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior process engineer has an average salary of $105,378, 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 senior process engineer are continuous improvement, project management, and data analysis.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $105,378 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $50.66 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 56,510 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 Senior Process Engineer assesses a process efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and quality. They also conduct process improvement initiatives and custom product developments.
Principal manufacturing engineers and senior process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $105,378 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $82,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Louisiana |
| Best paying company | ZS | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a senior process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and senior process engineers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.3% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |