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The differences between value engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a value engineer, becoming a manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a value engineer has an average salary of $88,531, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a value engineer include project management, CAD and sigma. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Value Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,531 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $42.56 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,777 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A value engineer specializes in designing and developing procedures and strategies to enhance the value of projects and operations in an organization. Although the extent of their responsibilities varies on their company or industry of employment, it usually includes conducting research and analysis, reviewing documentation, developing tools, creating and presenting financial models, and help in developing processes and practices to optimize operations. Moreover, a value engineer typically works in a team environment, which requires an active communication line for a safe and efficient workflow.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Value engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Value Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,531 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $124,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a value engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Value Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between value engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Value Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 12.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |