Side-by-side distribution
Assembler
$25.00/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 39.3%
- Live roles
- 173
Process Engineer
$138,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.9%
- Live roles
- 423
Highest-paying jobs
R&D Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician
Production Optical Assembly Technician
Optical Assembly Technician
Optomechanical Assembly Technician
Electromechanical Assembly Technician
Mechanical Assembly Technician
Electromechanical Assembly Technician
Mechanical Assembly Technician
Electromechanical Assembly Technician
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Chemical Process Engineer
Principal Process Engineer, Fuel Cycle
Senior / Principal Silicon Photonic Packaging & Process Engineer
Senior Process Engineer (Power Generation / Gas-to-Power)
Process Engineer (New Grad December 2026)
Process Engineer (New Grad Summer 2027)
Senior Additive Manufacturing Process Engineer
Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer
Staff Engineer, Process Development and Manufacturing
Materials & Process Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$89,492 | 8 |
Zone 5 Technologies
|
$53,560 | 8 |
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 5 |
Stoke Space
|
$83,481 | 3 |
Thorlabs
|
$40,560 | 3 |
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$86,840 | 2 |
GILLIG
|
$82,202 | 2 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$67,600 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 14 |
Mariana Minerals
|
$147,500 | 6 |
| OK Oklo | $130,000 | 6 |
|
SpaceX
|
$115,000 | 5 |
|
Freeform
|
$209,800 | 4 |
Antora Energy
|
$159,750 | 4 |
| SI Sila | $158,000 | 4 |
Blue Current
|
$135,800 | 4 |
Assembler salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $86,320 | 3 |
| New York | $43,659 | 3 |
Process Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 7 |
| New York | $135,000 | 5 |
Assembler vs Process Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Assembler is $25.00/hr per year (typically $21.00/hr–$39.13/hr), versus $138,750 for Process Engineer ($113,750–$167,500). That puts Process Engineer about 167% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Assembler and Process 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.