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The differences between process development engineers and process improvement engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a process development engineer and a process improvement engineer. Additionally, a process development engineer has an average salary of $89,754, which is higher than the $82,473 average annual salary of a process improvement engineer.
The top three skills for a process development engineer include data analysis, DOE and R. The most important skills for a process improvement engineer are lean six sigma, sigma, and project management.
| Process Development Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,754 | $82,473 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $39.65 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 118,616 | 55,438 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Process Development Engineer creates and implements process technology for product manufacturing to optimize workflow, improve operating capabilities, and help ensure workers' safety. They help enhance the speed and quality of processing from a variety of industries, such as mining or manufacturing.
A process improvement engineer specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop new strategies and ideas to improve the processes in a manufacturing plant or a similar setting. They prioritize efficiency and profitability. Most of the time, engineers participate in a series of meetings where they coordinate with fellow engineers to determine opportunities for product growth and development. Moreover, a process improvement engineer is also responsible for crafting new policies and regulations, upgrading systems, and developing new practices to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction.
Process development engineers and process improvement engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Development Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,754 | $82,473 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $114,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process development engineer and a process improvement engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Development Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | New York University |
Here are the differences between process development engineers' and process improvement engineers' demographics:
| Process Development Engineer | Process Improvement Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |