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The differences between process engineers lead 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 engineer lead and a production engineer. Additionally, a process engineer lead has an average salary of $110,175, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a process engineer lead include lean six sigma, continuous improvement and sigma. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Process Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,175 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $52.97 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 48,485 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Process Engineer Lead is responsible for developing, maintaining, and operating materials and chemicals in the manufacturing process. They ensure continuous improvement in process, cost, quality, and production.
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 engineers lead and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $110,175 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $143,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | First Republic Bank | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process engineer lead and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between process engineers lead' and production engineers' demographics:
| Process Engineer Lead | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 14.7% White, 66.4% 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% |