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The differences between controls engineers and communications engineers 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 engineer and a communications engineer. Additionally, a controls engineer has an average salary of $84,532, which is higher than the $83,540 average annual salary of a communications engineer.
The top three skills for a controls engineer include C++, troubleshoot and UL. The most important skills for a communications engineer are RF, unified communications, and unity.
| Controls Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,532 | $83,540 |
| Hourly rate | $40.64 | $40.16 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 50,203 | 71,942 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and supervising electrical control systems, machinery, and equipment. They oversee projects from initial concept to installation and commissioning.
The duties of a communications engineer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around designing and developing new systems to optimize operations, performing research and assessments to identify company needs, determining the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and providing solutions on issues and concerns. Furthermore, as a communications engineer, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Controls engineers and communications engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Controls Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,532 | $83,540 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $111,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Shearman & Sterling |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a controls engineer and a communications engineer in terms of educational background:
| Controls Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between controls engineers' and communications engineers' demographics:
| Controls Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |