Salary guide, May 2025
Process Engineering Manager pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in the United States was $171,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $139,360 and $212,500.
Also searched as: Process Engineering Lead, Director of Process Engineering. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $120,810 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 | $262,760 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $58.08 | $67.00 | $82.34 | $102.16 | $126.33 |
BLS estimated 220,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $167,160 | $132,350 to $203,900 | 1,610 | 0.4 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $169,310 | $137,270 to $205,740 | 1,480 | 0.72 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $177,990 | $158,600 to $213,580 | 1,780 | 0.89 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $169,780 | $139,040 to $208,590 | 1,850 | 1.76 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $183,890 | $157,290 to $222,800 | 7,580 | 0.56 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $183,890 | $157,290 to $222,800 | 7,580 | 0.56 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $172,160 | $141,460 to $219,080 | 5,970 | 1.04 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $163,430 | $133,100 to $200,400 | 6,670 | 1.04 |
Rank every metro for Process Engineering Manager
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$192,800
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$183,950
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$179,720
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$179,270
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$179,100
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing$178,790
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$178,170
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$178,170
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$178,010
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$177,090
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$176,340
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing$172,680
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing$171,190
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$170,820
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$169,750
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 77,280 | $137,220 | $169,690 | $210,340 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 19,820 | $158,830 | $179,720 | $219,310 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 18,950 | $149,140 | $176,340 | $215,580 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 11,930 | $130,970 | $162,200 | $196,430 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 11,760 | $169,310 | $192,800 | $220,610 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 9,080 | $158,840 | $177,090 | $216,340 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 8,580 | $130,920 | $160,430 | $192,970 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 7,670 | $161,720 | $183,950 | $225,030 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 5,310 | $137,290 | $168,900 | $199,930 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 5,270 | $122,050 | $140,510 | $169,040 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 4,190 | $137,590 | $169,200 | $206,810 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 4,150 | $132,920 | $160,140 | $192,140 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 4,120 | $129,410 | $157,330 | $174,550 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 3,240 | $144,010 | $171,190 | $210,000 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 2,810 | $124,820 | $147,400 | $169,630 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 2,670 | $137,780 | $169,340 | $202,830 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 2,350 | $127,350 | $145,770 | $171,520 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 2,180 | $138,760 | $166,850 | $196,740 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,870 | $127,920 | $147,700 | $173,290 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,790 | $137,730 | $165,520 | $210,850 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,760 | $130,100 | $157,280 | $180,560 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,690 | $159,680 | $178,010 | $219,080 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 1,470 | $142,060 | $170,820 | $209,450 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 1,430 | $117,930 | $136,900 | $167,490 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,290 | $128,190 | $145,920 | $177,000 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,200 | $164,040 | $179,100 | $215,860 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,190 | $131,880 | $168,240 | $203,010 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,140 | $137,090 | $179,270 | $224,400 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 970 | $124,270 | $134,350 | $165,050 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 940 | $126,670 | $153,170 | $186,260 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 910 | $116,610 | $137,490 | $165,720 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 900 | $140,840 | $162,240 | $195,440 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 750 | $161,880 | $178,170 | $222,270 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 750 | $161,880 | $178,170 | $222,270 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 660 | $137,450 | $167,160 | $188,490 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 610 | $133,420 | $168,410 | $208,000 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 570 | $112,120 | $135,840 | $165,410 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 550 | $107,720 | $133,440 | $160,790 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 540 | $129,060 | $154,710 | $184,360 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 540 | $129,060 | $154,710 | $184,360 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 510 | $106,410 | $131,150 | $158,650 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 480 | $126,070 | $141,240 | $168,240 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 460 | $133,900 | $155,390 | $176,300 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 460 | $118,280 | $137,580 | $166,450 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 360 | $135,630 | $163,540 | $186,960 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 360 | $125,410 | $134,640 | $161,410 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 340 | $123,470 | $139,830 | $166,660 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 310 | $129,920 | $155,070 | $197,180 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 310 | $128,100 | $151,980 | $184,410 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 300 | $141,720 | $169,750 | $193,370 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 290 | $130,900 | $160,810 | $167,440 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 270 | $139,150 | $162,560 | $183,950 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 260 | $154,180 | $167,850 | $199,610 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 260 | $124,460 | $143,830 | $170,290 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 200 | $147,420 | $166,120 | $193,680 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 190 | $120,290 | $140,260 | $168,600 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 180 | $152,310 | $172,680 | $210,320 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 170 | $139,100 | $156,650 | $187,200 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 170 | $108,760 | $135,450 | $160,810 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 160 | $147,830 | $163,680 | $179,880 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 150 | $128,080 | $144,020 | $195,010 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 140 | $145,610 | $163,250 | $176,890 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 130 | $139,700 | $165,720 | $177,000 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 130 | $111,790 | $137,330 | $160,440 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 130 | $123,280 | $133,960 | $169,990 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 110 | $132,620 | $156,340 | $202,510 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 100 | $121,700 | $140,590 | $165,250 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 90 | $149,330 | $167,020 | $208,470 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 90 | $155,460 | $178,790 | $211,910 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $131,110 | $143,560 | $165,320 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $131,110 | $143,560 | $165,320 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 80 | $132,120 | $160,800 | $209,530 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 80 | $108,130 | $125,000 | $161,220 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 60 | $124,350 | $142,990 | $168,260 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 60 | $104,010 | $119,660 | $162,260 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 50 | $143,870 | $167,760 | $192,510 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 40 | $122,640 | $149,750 | $169,220 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 40 | $137,270 | $165,820 | $178,300 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Process Engineering Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $134,930 | $167,740 | $207,210 |
| May 2025 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about scale-up of new products?
We ask about the last product they took from pilot to full production, what changed at scale, and which assumption failed. A manager who has scaled products can describe mixing time, heat transfer or residence time differences between lab and plant. We also ask how they worked with research and the commercial team.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Process Engineering Manager?
The median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in the United States was $171,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $139,360 and $212,500. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $120,810. 90% earned less than $262,760.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Process Engineering Manager at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 220,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Process Engineering Managers are essential for optimizing yield and cost performance. They fall under the SOC 11-9041 classification, Architectural and Engineering Managers. This BLS category covers a wide range of engineering leadership across all industries, meaning the data aggregates roles from disparate fields.
The national median for this occupation is $171,270, an increase of $3,530 from the May 2024 figure of $167,740. Manufacturing Headhunters uses this national benchmark as a foundation, though managers should acknowledge that specialized manufacturing process expertise often dictates a higher premium than the generic engineering management average.
The middle-band width for this occupation is $73,140, spanning the P25 of $139,360 to the P75 of $212,500. This range reflects how companies value the ability to drive scale-up efforts for new products and manage continuous improvement teams. The lower end of the spectrum, P10 at $120,810, and the upper end, P90 at $262,760, illustrate that management experience and the size of the engineering group significantly influence base pay. These figures are limited to base salary components, excluding signing bonuses and other forms of non-cash compensation.
Metropolitan comparisons highlight significant regional variance. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area, the median is $190,900, which shifted from $181,400 in the previous release. The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area reports a median of $168,550, compared to the prior $167,890. The location quotient for the Detroit area is notably high at 3.43, emphasizing the region's concentration of engineering talent compared to Los Angeles at 1.08. These figures reflect market demand in regions with high concentrations of engineering work.
Industry-specific data provides valuable context for hiring expectations. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reports a national median of $192,800, while Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing reflects a median of $183,950. Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing shows a median of $179,720. These sectoral figures are higher than the general occupation median of $171,270, highlighting how specialized high-tech manufacturing prioritizes process engineering leadership. Relying on these industry rows helps confirm that hiring for critical manufacturing processes requires staying toward the upper end of the engineering management pay range.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the Detroit location quotient significantly higher than in Los Angeles?
The location quotient measures the concentration of employment for an occupation relative to the national average. A higher value in Detroit reflects a greater density of architectural and engineering management positions in that regional market.
How do these national sectoral medians apply to my specific process engineering manager vacancy?
The sectoral rows provide evidence of pay premiums in high-complexity industries like aerospace and semiconductors. If your manufacturing environment shares these complexities, you should benchmark your offer closer to these industry-specific medians.
Does this data account for the specific technical scale-up expertise required for my role?
The BLS data does not explicitly measure specific competencies like yield improvement or product scale-up. You should adjust your offer based on the candidate's documented history of successfully managing these specific technical tasks.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4