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The differences between principal manufacturing engineers and senior product 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 product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior product engineer has an average salary of $101,685, 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 product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,463 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $45.41 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 91,957 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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 product engineer specializes in optimizing product designs and manufacturing procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They are typically in charge of performing market research and analysis, utilizing the results as a basis in designing new products and upgrading existing designs. Moreover, they coordinate with product development teams to cultivate ideas, develop prototypes and test structures, and oversee the material selection that will make the products possible. As a senior product engineer, it is essential to monitor the entire progress and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Principal manufacturing engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,463 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $122,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ZS | Cloudflare |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal manufacturing engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal manufacturing engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Principal Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| 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, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |