Manufacturing Engineer Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Manufacturing engineers in Tucson turn designs into hardware that has to work the first time, from missiles on the south side to diagnostic instruments in Oro Valley. Senior postings reach $165,000. Current openings are below, followed by who hires, what it pays and how to get in.
Current Manufacturing Engineer Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Manufacturing Engineer Work in Tucson
Tucson builds low-volume, high-consequence products, and that shapes the job. At Raytheon's plant near Tucson International Airport, manufacturing development engineers write the data packages a factory builds from: assembly instructions, routings, labor standards and tool and fixture designs. At Roche's tissue diagnostics headquarters in Oro Valley, process engineers design and improve production lines under GMP rules, where a change has to be validated before it goes live.
The rest of the market adds variety. Caterpillar's mining business, based downtown, hires manufacturing engineers for process development, Lean and digital twin work on large mining truck platforms. Celestica runs an ITAR aerospace and defense facility in Tucson with test manufacturing engineers on more than one shift, and World View builds stratospheric balloon systems here. Expect clearance requirements on much of the defense work and validation paperwork on the medical side.
Top Tucson Employers for Manufacturing Engineers
These Tucson employers hire manufacturing and process engineers:
- Raytheon (RTX) - manufacturing development engineers who own data packages, tooling, fixtures and factory readiness for missile programs; U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance are required.
- Roche Tissue Diagnostics - process engineers at the Oro Valley campus for validation, automation, cycle time and GMP compliance, plus manufacturing process engineering internships.
- Caterpillar - manufacturing engineers for its mining business, working on Lean, APQP, IIoT and electrification readiness.
- Celestica - associate and lead test manufacturing engineers at its Tucson aerospace and defense facility.
- World View - manufacturing and test engineers for its stratospheric balloon systems.
Manufacturing Engineer Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (0-3 years): roughly $68,000 to $85,000 per year.
- Experienced (4-8 years): roughly $88,000 to $118,000 per year.
- Senior or principal (8+ years): roughly $118,000 to $155,000 per year, with cleared defense roles at the top.
Posted Tucson ranges back these bands up: Raytheon listed its senior manufacturing development engineer at $86,800 to $165,200, and Caterpillar listed a Tucson manufacturing engineer at $97,530 to $146,290. A clearance, validation experience and CAD skill all move pay. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
How to Become a Manufacturing Engineer in Tucson
Most postings ask for a bachelor's in manufacturing, mechanical, industrial or electrical engineering; Raytheon accepts any STEM degree with five years of experience for senior roles. The University of Arizona's Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and its Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering are the local degree programs, and Pima Community College's Pre-Engineering concentration at West Campus covers the first two years for transfer students.
Pima's Machining Inspection and Quality Assurance Certificate, a one-year program at Downtown Campus, is a practical start for technicians who want to work toward engineering. The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration registers EITs and PEs, but the Tucson manufacturing engineer postings reviewed for this guide asked for a degree and experience, not a PE.
What the Job Involves
You live between engineering and the floor. A typical day means walking a build, finding out why an operator is fighting a fixture, redesigning it in CAD and writing the change up properly. Add first-article work, process capability studies, routing updates, supplier issues and production problems that need an answer before the shift ends.
Skills Employers Look For
- CAD and GD&T, with Creo preferred on Raytheon postings
- Process validation and change control in regulated plants
- Lean manufacturing and root cause analysis
- Tool and fixture design and design for manufacturing
- MRP systems and manufacturing readiness assessments
- Data analysis, and IIoT or digital twin experience for Caterpillar roles
Career Path and Advancement
The usual Tucson ladder runs manufacturing engineer to senior, then principal or manufacturing engineering manager, and on into operations leadership. Raytheon's senior manufacturing development engineer acts as a program's producibility authority, which is the technical track. Lateral moves into quality, industrial or design engineering are common because the work overlaps.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the roles manufacturing engineers most often move between:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a PE license to be a manufacturing engineer in Tucson?
The Raytheon, Roche and Caterpillar postings reviewed for this guide did not ask for one. They asked for an engineering or STEM degree, experience and process skills. The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration handles EIT and PE registration if you want it.
Can you become a manufacturing engineer in Tucson without an engineering degree?
Rarely. Caterpillar accepts equivalent experience and Raytheon accepts other STEM degrees, but most postings expect a bachelor's. A technician route, such as Pima's Machining Inspection and Quality Assurance Certificate at Downtown Campus, can lead to engineering once a degree is finished.
Which Tucson employers hire manufacturing engineers?
Raytheon is the anchor, with manufacturing engineering roles at its plant near the airport. Roche in Oro Valley, Caterpillar's downtown mining business, Celestica and World View also hire for manufacturing, process and test engineering.
Do manufacturing engineers need a security clearance in Tucson?
At Raytheon, yes: its manufacturing engineering postings require U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance. Celestica's Tucson facility handles ITAR work. Roche and Caterpillar roles do not list a clearance.
How much do manufacturing engineers make in Tucson?
Entry roles generally run $68,000 to $85,000 and mid-career roles $88,000 to $118,000. Raytheon's senior manufacturing development engineer posting ran $86,800 to $165,200 and Caterpillar's Tucson posting $97,530 to $146,290. These are estimates and vary by employer.
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