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What is a process improvement engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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The role of a Process Improvement Engineer, sometimes referred to merely as a Process Engineer, is to examine, design, and implement industrial processes into a company, usually one of a rather large size.

A Process Engineer rarely works alone; they are obligated to meet with upper management and various teams of employees, to determine several factors, before, during, and after the process implementation project. The design and point of these processes usually revolve around profit and efficiency, and the financial bettering of the company overall. These Engineers are often found in companies having to do with manufacturing, chemistry, IT, or sales.

A person hoping to work in this position will generally need to have a Bachelor's degree, at least, in Engineering or a similar field, as well as previous experience in a similar position or equivalent knowledge. A proficency and an understanding in process simulations and operating procedures, software such AutoCAD, and state health and safety regulations is a must for any candidate.

ScoreProcess Improvement EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.4

Avg. Salary $82,473

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 10.52%

Black or African American 4.72%

Hispanic or Latino 11.60%

Unknown 3.95%

White 69.04%

Gender

female 36.80%

male 63.20%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Process improvement engineer career paths

Key steps to become a process improvement engineer

  1. Explore process improvement engineer education requirements

    Most common process improvement engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.5 %

    Master's

    16.9 %

    Associate

    9.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific process improvement engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Lean Six Sigma11.19%
    Sigma9.24%
    Project Management8.00%
    Healthcare7.68%
    Data Analysis5.20%
  3. Complete relevant process improvement engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New process improvement 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 improvement engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real process improvement engineer resumes.
  4. Research process improvement engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Utilize PMO best practices to identify and manage timelines, risks, dependencies, resource utilization and escalation points.
    • Implement appropriate process validation procedures and documentation to achieve operating efficiency while meeting FDA regulations.
    • Lead and assist maintenance in resolving equipment malfunctions, troubleshoot process problems, and organize and implement preventative maintenance procedures.
    • Migrate legacy systems into a single CRM system.
  5. Prepare your process improvement engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your process improvement 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 improvement 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 improvement engineer resume templates

    Build a professional process improvement 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 improvement engineer resume.
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
    Process Improvement Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for process improvement engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a process improvement engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first process improvement engineer job

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Average process improvement engineer salary

The average process improvement engineer salary in the United States is $82,473 per year or $40 per hour. Process improvement engineer salaries range between $62,000 and $109,000 per year.

Average process improvement engineer salary
$82,473 Yearly
$39.65 hourly

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How do process improvement engineers rate their job?

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Process improvement engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Being on the field doing running inspections and learning from the technicians

Cons

Being expose to bad weather that compromise the safety of operations.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

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.

Cons

The pay grade is low keyed for the type of production we produce. Average salary is $78,540 dollars...


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Cons

DO Change orders


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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