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What is a process development engineer and how to become one
Process development engineers design and implement industrial manufacturing processes and equipment. They also plan and test methods of production and may sometimes be in charge of facility operations. They apply knowledge of chemistry, biology, math, and physics to conduct research and create processes that can turn raw materials into finished products. This typically involves changing one chemical substance into another or combining chemicals to achieve a result. These finished products can include electronics, food and beverage, clothing, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and paper.
Process engineers need a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or a related field. At the same time, an ABET-accredited engineering program can present you with the required knowledge, skills, and experience to design, analyze, and control chemical processes.
Generally, entry-level process development engineers with less than one year of experience have an average salary of $64,889. Whereas experienced process development engineers, usually with 10-19 years of experience, have an average salary of $87,521.
What general advice would you give to a process development engineer?
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University
Avg. Salary $89,754
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%
Asian 15.32%
Black or African American 4.27%
Hispanic or Latino 10.47%
Unknown 3.88%
White 65.89%
Genderfemale 18.82%
male 81.18%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Process development engineer career paths
Key steps to become a process development engineer
Explore process development engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific process development engineer skills
Skills Percentages Data Analysis 6.37% DOE 4.85% R 4.19% Process Engineering 4.13% Statistical Analysis 3.68% Complete relevant process development engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New process development engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a process development engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real process development engineer resumes.Research process development engineer duties and responsibilities
- Manage implementation of improve paste compounding (including extrusion) process.
- Perform process validation and product qualification per FDA standards for medical device submissions.
- Perform IQ, OQ and PQ on the fixtures and equipment used.
- Own and maintain product BOM, and operator instruction through prototype and pilot runs.
Prepare your process development engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your process development engineer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a process development engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable process development engineer resume templates
Build a professional process development engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your process development engineer resume.
Apply for process development engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a process development engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first process development engineer job
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Average process development engineer salary
The average process development engineer salary in the United States is $89,754 per year or $43 per hour. Process development engineer salaries range between $70,000 and $114,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do process development engineers rate their job?
Process development engineer reviews
very little
Being on the field doing running inspections and learning from the technicians
Being expose to bad weather that compromise the safety of operations.
Schedules my co worker where to work each day and making sure the process is flowing with the machines, materials and the needed information to make the products and service come out right.
The pay grade is low keyed for the type of production we produce. Average salary is $78,540 dollars...
Updated January 8, 2025
