Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between controls engineers and telecommunication 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 telecommunication engineer. Additionally, a controls engineer has an average salary of $84,532, which is higher than the $80,789 average annual salary of a telecommunication engineer.
The top three skills for a controls engineer include C++, troubleshoot and UL. The most important skills for a telecommunication engineer are telecommunication, voip, and RF.
| Controls Engineer | Telecommunication Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,532 | $80,789 |
| Hourly rate | $40.64 | $38.84 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 50,203 | 28,331 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
A telecommunication engineer is responsible for installing, testing, and repairing telecommunication systems including mobile telephone networks and fiber optic and digital satellite systems. Your day-to-day duties include diagnosing and troubleshooting systems faults, installing static and mobile antennae on masts and buildings, and designing, developing, and testing telecommunications equipment and components. As a telecommunication engineer, you are also required to provide guidance and support to telecommunication installers to ensure quality. You are also responsible for providing recommendations to upgrade outdated equipment.
Controls engineers and telecommunication engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Controls Engineer | Telecommunication Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,532 | $80,789 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $111,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a controls engineer and a telecommunication engineer in terms of educational background:
| Controls Engineer | Telecommunication Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between controls engineers' and telecommunication engineers' demographics:
| Controls Engineer | Telecommunication Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% |
| 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, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |