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The differences between controls engineers and control systems 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 control systems engineer. Additionally, a control systems engineer has an average salary of $92,727, which is higher than the $84,532 average annual salary of a controls engineer.
The top three skills for a controls engineer include C++, troubleshoot and UL. The most important skills for a control systems engineer are PLC, HMI, and C++.
| Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,532 | $92,727 |
| Hourly rate | $40.64 | $44.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 50,203 | 133,220 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
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 engineers and control systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,532 | $92,727 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $111,000 | Between $72,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a controls engineer and a control systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between controls engineers' and control systems engineers' demographics:
| Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% |
| 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, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |