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Manufacturing Engineer vs Quality Engineer: pay, jobs and what each takes
Manufacturing engineers and quality engineers and inspectors side by side: what each earns by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and by the jobs open today, how many jobs there are, and the education and credentials each takes.
Manufacturing Engineer vs Quality Engineer, side by side
| Manufacturing engineer | Quality engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Open jobs on this board today | 527 | 561 |
| Median posted hourly pay (open jobs) | $137,000 | $130,000 |
| Median hourly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Median yearly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Projected employment change (BLS) | - | - |
| Openings a year (BLS) | - | - |
| Typical education to enter (BLS) | - | - |
| Credentials | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) | NDT Level II or III (NAS 410); Certified Quality Engineer (CQE); Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) |
Manufacturing Engineer vs Quality Engineer: common questions
Are there more manufacturing engineer or quality engineer jobs?
On this board today: 527 open manufacturing engineer jobs and 561 quality engineer jobs, read from each employer's own job board.
What is the difference between a manufacturing engineer and a quality engineer?
Space companies hire manufacturing engineers to turn designs into flight hardware at rate: the processes, tooling and lines that build engines, tanks and spacecraft. Space companies hire quality engineers and inspectors to make sure every part is right before it flies, from the supplier's dock to the launch pad.
How do you become a manufacturing engineer or a quality engineer?
A mechanical, industrial or manufacturing engineering degree and time on a production floor. An engineering degree for quality engineers; inspectors come from the trades or the military. Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Manufacturing engineers, Quality engineers and inspectors.
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Sources and method
Pay and outlook are BLS's figures for each occupation's main SOC code; open jobs and their posted median are this board's, counted as each occupation's own page counts them.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Employment Projections
- SpaceJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Manufacturing Engineer vs Quality Engineer: Pay, Jobs and Requirements Compared. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/compare-careers/manufacturing-engineer-vs-quality-engineer