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The differences between controls designers and mechanical 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 controls designer and a mechanical designer. Additionally, a controls designer has an average salary of $91,944, which is higher than the $62,541 average annual salary of a mechanical designer.
The top three skills for a controls designer include PLC, control panels and IDS. The most important skills for a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.
| Controls Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,944 | $62,541 |
| Hourly rate | $44.20 | $30.07 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 79,729 | 65,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
Controls designers and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Controls Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $91,944 | $62,541 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $121,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Visteon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a controls designer and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Controls Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between controls designers' and mechanical designers' demographics:
| Controls Designer | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |