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The differences between senior manufacturing engineers and senior software engineers lead 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 software engineer lead takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior software engineer lead has an average salary of $129,060, 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 software engineer lead are java, architecture, and software development.
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $93,853 | $129,060 |
| Hourly rate | $45.12 | $62.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 97,154 | 322,973 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 software engineer lead is responsible for overseeing the software creation process. They analyze projects, rectify errors, interpret project requirements, and develop detailed designs. They must create reports of all weekly tasks and ensure best practices are followed by their team.
Senior manufacturing engineers and senior software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $93,853 | $129,060 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $123,000 | Between $96,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | PitchBook Data | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior manufacturing engineer and a senior software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior manufacturing engineers' and senior software engineers lead' demographics:
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% |
| 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, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 33.4% White, 48.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |