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Process engineer internship vs student engineer

The differences between process engineer interns and student engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a process engineer internship, becoming a student engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a student engineer has an average salary of $71,947, which is higher than the $39,495 average annual salary of a process engineer internship.

The top three skills for a process engineer internship include process engineering, process improvement and data analysis. The most important skills for a student engineer are GPA, C++, and CAD.

Process engineer internship vs student engineer overview

Process Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Yearly salary$39,495$71,947
Hourly rate$18.99$34.59
Growth rate10%2%
Number of jobs87,03098,036
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age4241
Years of experience46

What does a process engineer internship do?

A process engineering intern performs various tasks for an organization. These include collaborating with the technical team on cost savings, process efficiency improvements, and technology advancement, attending meetings with leadership teams, and participating in customer trials. Additionally, they may assist with the leadership or management teams in creating standard operating procedures. They are responsible for coordinating with engineers and work on projects assigned by the leadership. Ideal candidates for this role must have a degree in mechanical or industrial engineering, excellent communication skills, and knowledge and experience in process observation.

What does a student engineer do?

A student engineer is an individual who trains to become a full pledge professional engineer by gaining working experience in the field of engineering. By using their knowledge in the principles of science and mathematics, student engineers should help other professionals develop economical solutions and solve technical problems. They are required to engage themselves in the testing, production, or maintenance of newly developed products. Student engineers are also required to work closely with their senior managers or supervisors.

Process engineer internship vs student engineer salary

Process engineer interns and student engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Process Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Average salary$39,495$71,947
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $51,000Between $54,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City-Yakima, WA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry-Transportation

Differences between process engineer internship and student engineer education

There are a few differences between a process engineer internship and a student engineer in terms of educational background:

Process Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common majorChemical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Process engineer internship vs student engineer demographics

Here are the differences between process engineer interns' and student engineers' demographics:

Process Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Average age4241
Gender ratioMale, 68.7% Female, 31.3%Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage4%5%

Differences between process engineer internship and student engineer duties and responsibilities

Process engineer internship example responsibilities.

  • Lead large cross-function project across the business to determine AE's total COPQ.
  • Lead the kaizen project team in the gel-dipping area to improve the dip pans and gelatin feeding tanks availability.
  • Lead and assist maintenance in resolving equipment malfunctions, troubleshoot process problems, and organize and implement preventative maintenance procedures.
  • Implement a PLC device to the plant's chemical mixing room for improve data tracking and quality control.
  • Audit casting machines to identify problems, review process times on PLC and communicate problems to operators and supervisor.
  • Execute and analyze process capability studies using Minitab.
  • Show more

Student engineer example responsibilities.

  • Compose GIS maps using ArcView, manage large data sets, and help in train other personnel learn program
  • Lead a team of undergraduate students to continue the work done on SEI NASA project (see below).
  • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
  • Complete computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations and execute data analysis using JMP.
  • Aid software engineers in programming and debugging internal SQL database.
  • Perform systems programming in C/C++, Java, MATLAB and Linux.
  • Show more

Process engineer internship vs student engineer skills

Common process engineer internship skills
  • Process Engineering, 9%
  • Process Improvement, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 7%
  • Continuous Improvement, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Data Collection, 4%
Common student engineer skills
  • GPA, 12%
  • C++, 8%
  • CAD, 8%
  • Co-Op, 6%
  • Java, 5%
  • Python, 4%

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