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The differences between production engineers and packaging 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 production engineer and a packaging engineer. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $88,452 average annual salary of a packaging engineer.
The top three skills for a production engineer include java, continuous improvement and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a packaging engineer are CAD, project management, and solidworks.
| Production Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,727 | $88,452 |
| Hourly rate | $43.14 | $42.52 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 94,789 | 54,028 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.
Production engineers and packaging engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,727 | $88,452 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $125,000 | Between $65,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production engineer and a packaging engineer in terms of educational background:
| Production Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering And Industrial Management |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between production engineers' and packaging engineers' demographics:
| Production Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 13.1% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |