How to become a Manufacturing Engineer
Official title: Manufacturing Engineers
Also called: Facility Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Plant Engineer, Process Engineer, Process Improvement Engineer
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.
Main tasks
- Troubleshoot new or existing product problems involving designs, materials, or processes.
- Investigate or resolve operational problems, such as material use variances or bottlenecks.
- Identify 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.
- Apply continuous improvement methods, such as lean manufacturing, to enhance manufacturing quality, reliability, or cost-effectiveness.
- Provide technical expertise or support related to manufacturing.
- Incorporate new manufacturing methods or processes to improve existing operations.
- Review product designs for manufacturability or completeness.
- Determine root causes of failures or recommend changes in designs, tolerances, or processing methods, using statistical procedures.
How to become one
Industrial engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering.
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- College: Engineering degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $102,440 a year The middle half earn $83,600 to $129,250.
- About 365,100 people work in this job now, and about 410,600 are projected by 2035. (+12.4%)
- People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Related jobs
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
- Industrial Engineers
- Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists
- Validation Engineers
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Manufacturing Engineer?
Industrial engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field, such as mechanical or electrical engineering.
How much does a Manufacturing Engineer earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $102,440 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $83,600 to $129,250.
Is a Manufacturing Engineer a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 365,100 to about 410,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Manufacturing Engineer?
Usually. 77% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Manufacturing Engineer?
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.