Manufacturing Engineers
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.
Also called: Advance Manufacturing Engineer, Automation Engineer, Design Engineer, Engineer, Facility Engineer, Foundry Process Engineer
Median pay
$102,440
Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Engineers”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$74,370 – $159,860
People employed
365,740
Whole BLS group
Holland code
RIC
Realistic · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
- 2.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 3.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Manufacturing Engineers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Industrial Engineers”.
What manufacturing engineers do
- 01Troubleshoot new or existing product problems involving designs, materials, or processes.
- 02Investigate or resolve operational problems, such as material use variances or bottlenecks.
- 03Identify opportunities or implement changes to improve manufacturing processes or products or to reduce costs, using knowledge of fabrication processes, tooling and production equipment, assembly methods, quality control standards, or product design, materials and parts.
- 04Apply continuous improvement methods, such as lean manufacturing, to enhance manufacturing quality, reliability, or cost-effectiveness.
- 05Provide technical expertise or support related to manufacturing.
- 06Incorporate new manufacturing methods or processes to improve existing operations.
Skills that matter most
- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
Knowledge
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
- Mathematics
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Adaptability
- Innovation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from manufacturing engineers
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians80% · —
- Materials Scientists75% · —
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians75% · —
- Logistics Engineers71% · group pay
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians71% · —
Change into manufacturing engineers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians84% · $66,120
- Materials Scientists79% · $117,790
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers75% · $171,270
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians73% · $74,510
- Commercial and Industrial Designers70% · $83,910
Majors that lead here
- Systems Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Engineering/Industrial Management
- Packaging Science
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.