State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Manufacturing Engineer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Manufacturing Engineers earn a median of $102,440 per year ($49.25/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 11.0% through 2034, with about 25,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-2112Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $102,440
- Projected growth
- +11.0%
- Openings a year
- 25,200
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Facility Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Plant Engineer, Process Engineer, Process Improvement Engineer.
How much do Manufacturing Engineers make?
10th percentile$74,370
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$83,600
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$102,440
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$129,250
Upper quartile
90th percentile$159,860
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $102,440 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $49.25/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $109,900 |
| People employed | 365,740 |
Versus all US occupations
At $102,440, Manufacturing Engineers earn 101% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $51,460 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
The median is typical for the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $159,860 or more while the bottom 10% earn $74,370, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 80% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $156,510, and still leads at $152,903 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Manufacturing Engineers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $156,510 | $152,903 | 220 |
| Washington | $129,050 | $120,593 | 6,130 |
| Oregon | $128,290 | $124,118 | 5,810 |
| New Mexico | $128,090 | $138,908 | 1,140 |
| California | $124,600 | $112,536 | 32,680 |
| Hawaii | $123,800 | $112,596 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $122,920 | $139,354 | 1,710 |
| Wyoming | $122,070 | $131,696 | 240 |
| Delaware | $120,190 | $120,421 | 820 |
| Maryland | $119,930 | $114,264 | 3,900 |
Is Manufacturing Engineer a growing career?
Manufacturing Engineers11.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+11.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Manufacturing Engineers to change 11.0% over 2024–2034, roughly 3.5× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 38,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 25,200 openings are projected each year, 7.2% of the 351,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Industrial engineers focus on reducing internal costs, making their work valuable in manufacturing and other industries, such as consulting and engineering services and research and development firms. As more companies look to lower costs, demand is expected to increase for industrial engineers to optimize production processes, manage supply chains and logistics, and provide expertise on automation.
How to 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.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as manufacturing engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree76.0%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)16.0%
- Some College Courses4.0%
- First Professional Degree4.0%
What does a Manufacturing Engineer do?
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.
Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. They assess workers, quality control, logistics, and other factors involved in coordinating production.
Day-to-day tasks
- Troubleshoot new or existing product problems involving designs, materials, or processes.
- 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.
- Review product designs for manufacturability or completeness.
- Determine root causes of failures or recommend changes in designs, tolerances, or processing methods, using statistical procedures.
- Prepare documentation for new manufacturing processes or engineering procedures.
- Communicate manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, or other information to facilitate production processes.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, participate in educational programs, attend meetings or workshops, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in the manufacturing field.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where manufacturing engineers work
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 15% |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14% |
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 12% |
| Machinery manufacturing | 8% |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 6% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Mathematics4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Operations Monitoring3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.8/5
- Systems Evaluation3.8/5
- Technology Design3.6/5
- Troubleshooting3.5/5
- Time Management3.5/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Manufacturing Engineer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.3
Investigativeprimary4.5
Artistic2.2
Social1.6
Enterprising3.1
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Manufacturing Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Manufacturing Engineers make?
Manufacturing Engineers earn a median of $102,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 101% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $49.25/hr. The middle half earn between $83,600 and $129,250. The top 10% earn $159,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Manufacturing Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Manufacturing Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 76.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Manufacturing Engineer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 11.0% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 25,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Manufacturing Engineer do?
Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. A core O*NET task: troubleshoot new or existing product problems involving designs, materials, or processes. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Manufacturing Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Manufacturing Engineers are Alaska ($156,510), Washington ($129,050), Oregon ($128,290) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Manufacturing Engineer?
O*NET scores Manufacturing Engineers highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.