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The differences between senior manufacturing engineers and senior product engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior manufacturing engineer, becoming a senior product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior product engineer has an average salary of $101,685, which is higher than the $93,853 average annual salary of a senior manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a senior manufacturing engineer include lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and sigma. The most important skills for a senior product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,853 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $45.12 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 97,154 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A Senior Manufacturing Engineer works in a company's production operations and is responsible for developing and improving manufacturing processes. They analyze and propose solutions to engineering problems.
A senior product engineer specializes in optimizing product designs and manufacturing procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They are typically in charge of performing market research and analysis, utilizing the results as a basis in designing new products and upgrading existing designs. Moreover, they coordinate with product development teams to cultivate ideas, develop prototypes and test structures, and oversee the material selection that will make the products possible. As a senior product engineer, it is essential to monitor the entire progress and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior manufacturing engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $93,853 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $123,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cloudflare | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior manufacturing engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior manufacturing engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |