What is the salary and career path for a manufacturing engineer?
Manufacturing engineer is a close match to Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112), the code BLS uses for engineers who design manufacturing processes; the OEWS May 2025 median is $102,440 a year ($49.25 an hour), from $74,370 at the 10th percentile to $159,860 at the 90th. BLS projects 11% employment growth for the code over 2024–2034 — faster than average — with about 25,200 openings a year. The role needs a bachelor's in manufacturing, mechanical or industrial engineering; GD&T fluency and quality-system credentials support advancement rather than a license.
- Manufacturing Engineers earn a national median $102,440/yr ($49.25/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112); the top 10% clear $159,860.
- It is a close-match role: BLS Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112) is the code that captures manufacturing engineers at a $102,440 median, alongside industrial, process and quality engineers who share it.
- A four-year manufacturing, mechanical or industrial engineering degree is required; GD&T fluency, APQP/PPAP command and a Six Sigma or SME credential support advancement, not a license.
- BLS projects 11% growth for SOC 17-2112 through 2034 — faster than average — with about 25,200 openings a year; the ladder runs associate ($74,370) to manufacturing engineer ($102,440 median) to senior ($129,250) to ME manager ($159,860 top decile).
Career Path
How do you become a manufacturing engineer?
Associate manufacturing engineer
Writing work instructions, supporting tooling and fixture builds and running process trials; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $74,370 for SOC 17-2112.
Manufacturing engineer
Owning process design, tooling and PPAP for a product family around the $102,440 median for the code.
Senior manufacturing engineer
Leading new-line launches and automation projects pays toward the 75th percentile of $129,250.
Manufacturing engineering manager
Running the manufacturing-engineering group and capital projects reaches the 90th percentile of $159,860.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays manufacturing engineers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112. National median: $102,440. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does manufacturing engineer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles manufacturing engineers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: manufacturing engineers rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +11% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly manufacturing engineers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112 (manufacturing engineers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do manufacturing engineers need?
A four-year engineering degree covering manufacturing processes, CAD/CAM, materials and GD&T is the standard entry requirement. See all state licences →
Fluency in geometric dimensioning and tolerancing — the language of engineering drawings — is essential for tooling and inspection; ASME offers certification.
Command of the automotive launch and quality-system requirements (control plans, PFMEA, PPAP) needed to release a process in regulated supply chains.
An ASQ Six Sigma belt or SME Certified Manufacturing Engineer credential supporting process-improvement and senior roles.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do manufacturing engineers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-2112
Salary Levers
How do manufacturing engineers earn above the $102,440 BLS median?
Industry sector
Aerospace, medical-device and automotive employers pay above general fabrication, moving from the $74,370 band toward the $102,440 median
Automation and launch experience
Leading robotic-cell and new-line launches moves pay toward the $129,250 seventy-fifth percentile
GD&T and quality-system depth
Deep GD&T plus IATF 16949/AS9100 command commands a premium in regulated supply chains
Move into ME management
Running the manufacturing-engineering group and capital budget is what reaches the $159,860 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a manufacturing engineer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2112. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Manufacturing Engineer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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