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The differences between sustaining engineers and process 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 sustaining engineer and a process engineer. Additionally, a sustaining engineer has an average salary of $88,351, which is higher than the $82,443 average annual salary of a process engineer.
The top three skills for a sustaining engineer include troubleshoot, lean six sigma and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a process engineer are continuous improvement, sigma, and lean manufacturing.
| Sustaining Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,351 | $82,443 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 57,402 | 66,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A sustaining engineer is responsible for monitoring industrial operations, including the efficiency of processes and the performance of tools and equipment, ensuring high-quality deliverables for business objectives. Sustaining engineers evaluate the safety and security of the operations, strategizing techniques to manage potential hazards that may cause delays in the production. They also work with the management to identify opportunities to maximize productivity and maintain cost-reduction procedures, especially on materials and equipment. A sustaining engineer handles operational issues, as well as assessing incident reports for immediate resolution.
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
Sustaining engineers and process engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sustaining Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,351 | $82,443 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $114,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rio Rancho, NM |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a sustaining engineer and a process engineer in terms of educational background:
| Sustaining Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between sustaining engineers' and process engineers' demographics:
| Sustaining Engineer | Process Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.1% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |