Tool planner vs production engineer

The differences between tool planners and production engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a tool planner, becoming a production engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a production engineer has an average salary of $89,727, which is higher than the $87,023 average annual salary of a tool planner.

The top three skills for a tool planner include engineering drawings, MRP and engineering blueprints. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.

Tool planner vs production engineer overview

	Tool Planner	Production Engineer
Yearly salary	$87,023	$89,727
Hourly rate	$41.84	$43.14
Growth rate	1%	10%
Number of jobs	21,664	94,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	54	42
Years of experience	6	4

Tool planner vs production engineer salary

Tool planners and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tool Planner	Production Engineer
Average salary	$87,023	$89,727
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $136,000	Between $64,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Cheniere Energy
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between tool planner and production engineer education

There are a few differences between a tool planner and a production engineer in terms of educational background:

	Tool Planner	Production Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Tool planner vs production engineer demographics

Here are the differences between tool planners' and production engineers' demographics:

	Tool Planner	Production Engineer
Average age	54	42
Gender ratio	Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9%	Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	3%	4%

Differences between tool planner and production engineer duties and responsibilities

Tool planner example responsibilities.

Design and manage the implementation of production tooling (fixtures, jigs, gauges, cutting tools, etc . )
Introduce lean techniques through creation and implementation of ISO procedures.
Collaborate with CMM equipment in the inspection of inventory shipments, ensuring all materials comply with government quality requirements and specifications.
Fabricate metal parts from the machine shop for AH-64D.
Facilitate and moderate demand, utilizing SMED and Kaizen technologies to facilitate procurement.

Production engineer example responsibilities.

Prepare tooling and gauging for CNC turning centers, manage the tooling cabinets, and rapport with vendors for tool sharpening.
Complete DMAIC project and 8D that lead to the resolution of vibration issue, project result in a $2M save.
Lead work cells to become a team; Harmonize/unite/motivate assembly personnel using Kaizen approach.
Lead several independent, cross-functional projects and improve manufacturing quality, reduce cost, ensure environment are supported and FDA compliant.
Install new filtration systems for aluminum boring machine centers.
Have prepared and used FMEA, PPAP documents and perform MSA studies.

Tool planner vs production engineer skills

Common tool planner skills

Engineering Drawings, 56%
MRP, 23%
Engineering Blueprints, 12%
Aircraft Production, 9%

Common production engineer skills

Java, 9%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Lean Manufacturing, 5%
Sigma, 4%
Technical Support, 4%
Process Control, 4%