What Is an Entry Level Manufacturing Engineer and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

An entry-level manufacturing engineer works to develop and improve the production process for manufacturing goods. Your duties include designing, creating, and testing strategies for production. As a member of an engineering team, you may have to decide which procedure improvement is best for streamlining the production process. You may also work on equipment design and placement, and your responsibilities may include taking steps to improve energy efficiency. As an entry-level engineer, you likely work as part of a team headed by a lead engineer or manager.

Because an entry-level manufacturing engineer is a specialized position, you need specific educational qualifications. At a minimum, you need a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Some employers may prefer candidates who have a master’s degree in engineering. However, because this is an entry-level position, most employers do not seek candidates who have more than two years of job experience. Since some professional certifications, such a Certified Manufacturing Engineer, require four years of job experience before testing, you may not need them for an entry-level position.

Entry-level manufacturing engineers work in the diverse manufacturing industry. In this career, you focus on one (or a few) of a wide array of products. For example, an entry-level engineer may work for a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a food producer, an automaker, a toymaker, or a heavy equipment producer. Because your responsibilities involve working on manufacturing processes, you usually work directly in a warehouse or factory or are based in an office nearby. Entry-level engineers may work weekend or evening shifts.

Entry-level manufacturing engineers may proceed to work as lead engineers or to manage the engineering department in a supervisory role. Professional certifications in this field often require four or more years of job experience, so after a few years, you can qualify for certification. You may choose to work as a consultant and advise manufacturers about creating a more profitable and efficient manufacturing process. An entry-level position may give you an opportunity to learn skills that you can use to specialize in a specific area, such as worker safety, workforce education, energy efficiency, or quality control.