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Manufacturing Engineer
As a young child, were you fascinated with big, loud machines but were dismayed when told to stay away and not to touch them?  Has the intrigue of machines endured the years?  If so and if you are a lover of Math and Science, then a career as a Manufacturing Engineer may very well be one long "recess" for you and the industrial plant may be your own personal "playground."

Using principles of various engineering disciplines, Mathematics, Carpentry, Physical Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, and Physics to develop manufacturing solutions and strategies, Manufacturing Engineers research, design, plan, and perform engineering duties in the development and arrangement of methods and processes in order to manufacture products or mechanical parts.  They plan, direct, and coordinate manufacturing processes in industrial plants.  Utilizing their knowledge of product design, materials and parts, fabrication processes, tooling and production equipment capabilities, assembly methods, and quality control standards, they have established themselves as the leading experts at developing, evaluating, and improving manufacturing methods.

Duties include but are not limited to:  analyzing and planning work force utilization, space requirements, workflow, and designs layout of equipment and workspace;  conferring with planning and design staff concerning product design and tooling to ensure efficient production methods; conferring with vendors to determine product specifications and quality standards; estimating production times, staffing requirements, and related costs to provide information for management decisions; and conferring with management, engineering, and other staff regarding manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and other considerations to facilitate production processes.

Manufacturing Engineers find the most cost-effective way to make the physical products or mechanical parts as designed by Mechanical (Design) Engineers, and some can even show how to mass produce it, usually the function of Industrial Engineers.  They make these parts and products from materials such as metals and plastic, and they use project management, industrial control, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) softwares and Computer-Numerical-Controlled (CNC), lathes, sawing, and drilling machines (etc.) to manufacture the parts and products.  Processes include milling, turning, drilling, tapping, sawing, buffing, polishing, etching, grinding, and welding, to name a few.

Students interested in studying Manufacturing Engineering should take high school courses in Mathematics, such as Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus; Computer Science; and Sciences such as Chemistry and Physics.  Those entering Manufacturing Engineering Bachelor's of Science programs from high school with no previous Manufacturing Engineering training should expect a period of 4 to 5 years to complete said program.  In the US, a Professional Engineer's license (or PE) is required for those who wish to establish their own Manufacturing Engineering consulting firm and provide services directly to the public.  Industrial Engineering is usually the license of choice, since no Manufacturing Engineering license is offered.

Manufacturing was a part of human history long before the first recorded "industrial revolution."  Where there is growth in population, there is a need for mass production.  The world's population has grown to over 7 billion people with more countries joining the modern and industrial world.  And with the advent of these societies comes an increase in demand for products, services, and ultimately, Manufacturing Engineers.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $78,457

Salary Range:  ~$49,602 - $122,348+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
​The normal routes to becoming a Manufacturing Engineer have been to major in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Physics, or Applied Mathematics.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
​Colleges and universities that have the Manufacturing Engineering and related majors are:  Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee); Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Alabama A&M University (Normal, Alabama); Howard University (Washington, DC); Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas); Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio); Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida); Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana); and Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia).
Available Scholarships