Life As a Manufacturing Engineer
Occupation Description 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.
Life As a Manufacturing Engineer
- Communicate manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, or other information to facilitate production processes.
- Prepare reports summarizing information or trends related to manufacturing performance.
- Design layout of equipment or workspaces to achieve maximum efficiency.
- Evaluate manufactured products according to specifications and quality standards.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, participate in educational programs, attend meetings, attend workshops, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in the manufacturing field.
- Determine root causes of failures or recommend changes in designs, tolerances, or processing methods, using statistical procedures.
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Manufacturing Engineer Required Skills
These are the skills Manufacturing Engineers say are the most useful in their careers:
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
- Plant Engineer
- Manufacturing Applications Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineering Manager
- Manufacturing Process Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
What Kind of Manufacturing Engineer Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 132,500 jobs for Manufacturing Engineer in 2016. 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.
Manufacturing Engineer Average Salary
The salary for Manufacturing Engineers ranges between about $50,750 and $155,650 a year.

Manufacturing Engineers who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Manufacturing Engineers make 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 to Become a Manufacturing Engineer
What education or degrees do I need to become a Manufacturing Engineer?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Manufacturing Engineer?

Where do Manufacturing Engineers Work?

The table below shows the approximate number of Manufacturing Engineers employed by various industries.

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.
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