Compdata survey reveals five hot engineering jobs in manufacturing and distribution

Compdata Surveys & Consulting has released Compensation Data Manufacturing & Distribution 2015, which provides a comprehensive summary of pay data, benefits information and pay practices.

More than 750 titles were surveyed ranging from entry-level to top executives, with data collected from nearly 25,000 manufacturers and distributors across the country.

The survey’s results identified some engineering jobs in manufacturing and distribution that are seeing much higher pay increases than the national average increase of 2.9%.

The top five engineering “hot jobs” in manufacturing and distribution:

1. Test engineers, Level 1—Developers of product test protocols, processes, and standardized report forms saw an average base rate increase of 6.72% in 2015. Employers also reported a hire-on increase of 8.42% from the previous year.

2. Plant Engineering Managers—These positions plan and direct activities related to design, construction, modification, and maintenance of equipment and machinery in an industrial plant. This position saw an average base rate increase of 6.34% in 2015. Employers also reported a significant flat dollar bonus increase for this position, up 24.56% from the previous year.

3. Design Engineers, all levels—This position had significant increases in compensation as reported by employers. For designing and developing new or existing products, Level 2 Design Engineers received an average base rate increase of 4.51%. For Design Engineers, Level 3, employers reported a flat dollar bonus increase up 20.64% from the previous year.

4. Applications Engineers, Level 1—For those who analyze and determine engineering modifications and changes needed to fulfill customers’ requirements, employers reported an average hire-on increase of 9.41% in 2015.

5. Quality Control Engineers, Level 3—These engineers ensure product quality by directing and checking the work of team members through product testing, and they participate in all phases of product development. Employers reported an average increase of 5.16% in total compensation for 2015. This position also had a flat dollar bonus increase, up 19.83% from the previous year.

“Knowing which jobs are hot allows employers to position themselves more competitively,” said Amy Kaminski, vice president for Compdata Surveys & Consulting. “It’s important for them to look beyond just base pay to make sure they can attract and retain top, in-demand talent.”