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The differences between control systems engineers and controls designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a control systems engineer and a controls designer. Additionally, a control systems engineer has an average salary of $92,727, which is higher than the $91,944 average annual salary of a controls designer.
The top three skills for a control systems engineer include PLC, HMI and C++. The most important skills for a controls designer are PLC, control panels, and IDS.
| Control Systems Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,727 | $91,944 |
| Hourly rate | $44.58 | $44.20 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 133,220 | 79,729 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Control systems engineers are interdisciplinary engineers managing the company's control systems. They are expected to be familiar with different engineering disciplines such as mechanical, industrial, and computer science, among others. They are responsible for designing systems based on the company's requirements. Control systems engineers must conduct feasibility studies to ensure that the company's requirements can be met. They are also responsible for developing the systems, creating prototypes, and testing. They test whether the control systems produce desired results. After testing, control systems engineers implement the system and conduct routine maintenance checks.
Controls designers both design and draft systems of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical controls for equipment and machines. The designers make diagrams of the logic system for timing and sequence control. They illustrate and describe details for installation and maintenance, such as bearing lubrication and lubrication types. It is part of their job to review schematics with the representatives of customers to answer questions during robot system installation. Also, they may design energy conversion controls.
Control systems engineers and controls designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Control Systems Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Average salary | $92,727 | $91,944 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $118,000 | Between $69,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | Visteon |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a control systems engineer and a controls designer in terms of educational background:
| Control Systems Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between control systems engineers' and controls designers' demographics:
| Control Systems Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 17.7% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |