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What is a senior manufacturing process engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.

A senior manufacturing process engineer supervises, develops, and improves an organization's manufacturing procedures and policies. They use their technical knowledge and expertise to assure product quality and standard compliance, and address production issues related to materials, tools, and processes.

Their tasks include the formulation of work instructions and the inspection and evaluation of the condition and functionality of production equipment. They submit process reports and analyze information and trends. They also train technicians and other staff to maintain and operate production machinery, finding ways to achieve labor reductions and lower production costs.

Becoming a senior manufacturing process engineer requires a bachelor's degree in industrial or mechanical engineering. Three to five years of prior work experience is also an advantage to grab this position. Candidates must also have physical stamina and strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. On average, a senior manufacturing process engineer makes about $44.66 an hour, which amounts to an annual salary of $92,896.

What general advice would you give to a senior manufacturing process engineer?

Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.Edoardo Sarda Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, Robotics Engineering, Lake Superior State University

Flexibility has become a key asset for new graduates, due to the current COVID19 pandemic. Fortunately, engineers are still in high demand. Even fresh graduates may need to seek opportunities and accept positions working in areas that were not exactly what they had in mind while in college. Besides, the pandemic has created a reality where specific industries are struggling while others are booming. That will undoubtedly impact the demand for new engineers. Lastly, since the United States took a non-uniform approach to fight the pandemic, where every state is independently deciding how to reopen, leading to some states being stricter than others, in addition to new epicenters forming in different areas of the country at different times, new grads may not necessarily end up in the geographical location they may have originally planned.
ScoreSenior Manufacturing Process EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.4

Avg. Salary $94,308

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 15.54%

Black or African American 4.30%

Hispanic or Latino 10.55%

Unknown 3.89%

White 65.56%

Gender

female 9.50%

male 90.50%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Senior manufacturing process engineer career paths

Key steps to become a senior manufacturing process engineer

  1. Explore senior manufacturing process engineer education requirements

    Most common senior manufacturing process engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.3 %

    Master's

    12.8 %

    Associate

    12.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior manufacturing process engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Lean Manufacturing5.61%
    Sigma5.34%
    Continuous Improvement4.58%
    CAD4.30%
    Process Engineering3.45%
  3. Complete relevant senior manufacturing process engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior manufacturing process engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior manufacturing process engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior manufacturing process engineer resumes.
  4. Research senior manufacturing process engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage product BOM's for RoHS, end of life, and component quality issues.
    • Plan and manage process-improvement projects and support production methods and processes for manufacturing center and CNC processes.
    • Evaluate documentation for regulatory and FDA / ISO compliance.
    • Develop and maintain process qualification procedures and checklists in compliance to ISO 9001 and departmental procedures.
  5. Get senior manufacturing process engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior manufacturing process engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior manufacturing process engineer include process engineer, manufacturing engineer team lead and senior manufacturing engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior manufacturing process engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior manufacturing process engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior manufacturing process engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior manufacturing process engineer resume templates

    Build a professional senior manufacturing process engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior manufacturing process engineer resume.
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
    Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for senior manufacturing process engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior manufacturing process engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior manufacturing process engineer job

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Average senior manufacturing process engineer salary

The average senior manufacturing process engineer salary in the United States is $94,308 per year or $45 per hour. Senior manufacturing process engineer salaries range between $75,000 and $118,000 per year.

Average senior manufacturing process engineer salary
$94,308 Yearly
$45.34 hourly

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How do senior manufacturing process engineers rate their job?

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Senior manufacturing process engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Improve 5's & increase productivity, manpower reduction...n+/- concept..

Cons

Can be managed accordingly situation.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills

Cons

Stakeholders missing deadlines


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Being on the field doing running inspections and learning from the technicians

Cons

Being expose to bad weather that compromise the safety of operations.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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