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The differences between controls engineers and systems 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 systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a controls engineer has an average salary of $84,532, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a controls engineer include C++, troubleshoot and UL. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Controls Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,532 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $40.64 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 50,203 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Controls engineers and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Controls Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,532 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $111,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a controls engineer and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Controls Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between controls engineers' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Controls Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |