All About Manufacturing Engineers
Job Description & Duties Design, integrate, or improve manufacturing systems or related processes. May work with commercial or industrial designers to refine product designs to increase producibility and decrease costs.
A Day in the Life of a Manufacturing Engineer
- Communicate manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, or other information to facilitate production processes.
- Investigate or resolve operational problems, such as material use variances or bottlenecks.
- Evaluate manufactured products according to specifications and quality standards.
- Troubleshoot new or existing product problems involving designs, materials, or processes.
- Design, install, or troubleshoot manufacturing equipment.
- Incorporate new manufacturing methods or processes to improve existing operations.
Featured schools near , edit
What a Manufacturing Engineer Should Know
When polled, Manufacturing Engineers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Types of Manufacturing Engineer Jobs
- Continuous Improvement Manager
- Foundry Process Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Process Improvement Engineer
- Manufacturing Applications Engineer
Are There Job Opportunities for Manufacturing Engineers?
There were about 132,500 jobs for Manufacturing Engineer in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8,500 new jobs for Manufacturing Engineer by 2026. There will be an estimated 9,500 positions for Manufacturing Engineer per year.

The states with the most job growth for Manufacturing Engineer are Nevada, Utah, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Minnesota, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Manufacturing Engineer
The average yearly salary of a Manufacturing Engineer ranges between $50,750 and $155,650.

Manufacturing Engineers who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Manufacturing Engineers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $115,710 |
Alaska | $114,040 |
Arizona | $94,450 |
Arkansas | $71,510 |
California | $107,700 |
Colorado | $111,610 |
Connecticut | $100,230 |
District of Columbia | $132,530 |
Florida | $82,970 |
Georgia | $93,580 |
Hawaii | $96,940 |
Idaho | $110,270 |
Illinois | $87,220 |
Indiana | $73,340 |
Iowa | $78,230 |
Kansas | $82,060 |
Kentucky | $79,690 |
Louisiana | $90,580 |
Maine | $85,800 |
Maryland | $118,420 |
Massachusetts | $109,220 |
Michigan | $90,420 |
Minnesota | $101,620 |
Mississippi | $79,630 |
Missouri | $86,850 |
Montana | $79,590 |
Nebraska | $82,760 |
Nevada | $94,950 |
New Hampshire | $99,070 |
New Jersey | $114,990 |
New Mexico | $114,790 |
New York | $95,270 |
North Carolina | $83,900 |
North Dakota | $83,270 |
Ohio | $93,370 |
Oklahoma | $83,080 |
Oregon | $90,720 |
Pennsylvania | $96,550 |
Rhode Island | $95,790 |
South Carolina | $100,750 |
South Dakota | $84,320 |
Tennessee | $82,030 |
Texas | $113,370 |
Utah | $89,810 |
Vermont | $81,960 |
Virginia | $118,390 |
Washington | $104,890 |
West Virginia | $91,420 |
Wisconsin | $86,600 |
Wyoming | $97,040 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Manufacturing Engineers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Manufacturing Engineers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft SharePoint
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- IBM Notes
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- FileMaker Pro
- R
- Minitab
- National Instruments LabVIEW
How do I Become a Manufacturing Engineer?
Individuals working as a Manufacturing Engineer have obtained the following education levels:

What work experience do I need to become a Manufacturing Engineer?

Where Manufacturing Engineers Work

Below are examples of industries where Manufacturing Engineers work:

Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Manufacturing Engineer may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: luis gomes via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |