Side-by-side distribution
Assembler
$47,492
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30.9%
- Live roles
- 152
Manufacturing Engineer
$147,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 53.7%
- Live roles
- 925
Highest-paying jobs
Custom Door Assembler
R&D Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician - Engines (Andromeda)
Technician: Assembly, Integration & Test
Technician: Assembly, Integration & Test (2nd Shift)
R&D Technician (electrical assembly)
Build Technician - Assembly Technician - (on-site 3 months temp)
Assembly and Test Technician
Assembly Technician
Highest-paying jobs
Research Engineer, Production Model Post-Training
Software Engineer, Production Engineering
Principal Production Engineer
Software Engineer, Production Engineering
Sr. Staff Production Engineer - Data Platform
Staff Site Reliability Engineer, Production Engineering
Manufacturing Software Test Engineer
Principal Software Engineer, Manufacturing Systems
Manufacturing Design Engineer (NPI & Robotics)
Software Engineer, Manufacturing Test Systems
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Trexon
|
$43,420 | 6 |
Thorlabs
|
$40,560 | 4 |
|
Crusoe
|
$53,040 | 3 |
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 3 |
|
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$87,360 | 2 |
Quantum Fuel Systems LLC
|
$50,960 | 2 |
Flash
|
$46,800 | 2 |
AST SpaceMobile
|
$41,600 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 130 |
Relativity Space
|
$144,500 | 33 |
Archer
|
$171,100 | 15 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$133,750 | 10 |
mthree Recruiting Portal
|
$55,750 | 10 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$152,500 | 9 |
|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 9 |
Fluidstack
|
$217,500 | 8 |
Assembler salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $80,080 | 4 |
| New York | $43,659 | 3 |
Manufacturing Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $217,500 | 13 |
| Austin | $217,500 | 11 |
| San Francisco | $190,500 | 31 |
| New York | $187,500 | 22 |
| Chicago | $175,000 | 7 |
| Boston | $172,500 | 8 |
| Atlanta | $146,500 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | $145,000 | 32 |
| Denver | $121,000 | 4 |
Assembler vs Manufacturing Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Assembler is $47,492 per year (typically $41,600–$55,260), versus $147,750 for Manufacturing Engineer ($120,000–$170,000). That puts Manufacturing Engineer about 211% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Assembler and Manufacturing Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.