Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between process improvement 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 improvement engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $82,473 average annual salary of a process improvement engineer.
The top three skills for a process improvement engineer include lean six sigma, sigma and project management. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Process Improvement Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,473 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $39.65 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 55,438 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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 improvement engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Improvement Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,473 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $109,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process improvement engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Improvement Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between process improvement engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Process Improvement Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |