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The differences between project engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a project engineer, becoming a manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a manufacturing engineer has an average salary of $78,522, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a project engineer include project management, autocad and construction management. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,050 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $36.08 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 176,689 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Project engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,050 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $100,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between project engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Project Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |