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The differences between associate electrical engineers and instrumentation engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an associate electrical engineer and an instrumentation engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation engineer has an average salary of $88,783, which is higher than the $71,773 average annual salary of an associate electrical engineer.
The top three skills for an associate electrical engineer include electrical components, electrical equipment and RF. The most important skills for an instrumentation engineer are PLC, autocad, and analyzers.
| Associate Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,773 | $88,783 |
| Hourly rate | $34.51 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 31,707 | 45,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An associate electrical engineer is responsible for organizing and developing electrical systems, improving existing components, and designing infrastructure under the guidance of the senior electrical engineer. Associate electrical engineers identify cost-reduction materials and analyze current electrical industry trends to determine efficient products and equipment that support public demands and industrial use. They collaborate testing methods with the engineering team, suggest project improvement techniques, and perform quality assurance procedures to stabilize the electrical system's optimal performance.
An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Associate electrical engineers and instrumentation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,773 | $88,783 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $100,000 | Between $65,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Government |
There are a few differences between an associate electrical engineer and an instrumentation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between associate electrical engineers' and instrumentation engineers' demographics:
| Associate Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |