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The differences between controls engineers and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a controls engineer, becoming a software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Controls Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,532 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $40.64 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 50,203 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Controls engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Controls Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,532 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $111,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a controls engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Controls Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between controls engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Controls Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |