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The differences between process development engineers and production 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 production engineer. Additionally, a process development engineer has an average salary of $89,754, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a process development engineer include data analysis, DOE and R. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Process Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,754 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 118,616 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 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.
Process development engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,754 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $114,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process development engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between process development engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Process Development Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |