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The differences between project field 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 field 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 $71,292 average annual salary of a project field engineer.
The top three skills for a project field engineer include shop drawings, project management and OSHA. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Project Field Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,292 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $34.27 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 78,589 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Field engineers are engineering professionals who work on-site in a different setting to direct workers and report to the management about the status of different projects. These engineers are required to resolve malfunctions or other crises such as construction or machinery problems while overseeing repairs and technical improvements. They must conduct research and studies on-site and installing new systems and technology to ensure smooth operations of machinery. Field engineers must also communicate with clients to discuss and determine the needs and explain complex issues of projects.
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 field engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Field Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,292 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $90,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Roseville, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oklahoma | California |
| Best paying company | OHL USA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project field engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Field Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between project field engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Project Field Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |