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The differences between senior manufacturing process engineers and production engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior manufacturing process engineer and a production engineer. Additionally, a senior manufacturing process engineer has an average salary of $94,308, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a senior manufacturing process engineer include lean manufacturing, sigma and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,308 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $45.34 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 75,273 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
As a senior manufacturing process engineer, you must have great experience in the manufacturing process. You need to have excellent problem-solving ability and time management skills. To ensure that the company's manufacturing process is well-run, you have to also look after a team of manufacturing engineers. You also need to have excellent mapping skills to help in the improvement of the organization.
To apply for the post of senior manufacturing process engineer, five years of engineering experience is preferred. A science degree in manufacturing or industrial engineering is required.
A production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
Senior manufacturing process engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,308 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $118,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | PacBio | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior manufacturing process engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior manufacturing process engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |