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The differences between electrical controls engineers and instrumentation engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an electrical controls engineer and an instrumentation engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation engineer has an average salary of $88,783, which is higher than the $82,681 average annual salary of an electrical controls engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical controls engineer include HMI, PLC and allen-bradley. The most important skills for an instrumentation engineer are PLC, autocad, and analyzers.
| Electrical Controls Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,681 | $88,783 |
| Hourly rate | $39.75 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 54,037 | 45,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An electrical controls engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the organization's electrical tools and equipment, usually in manufacturing and warehouse settings. Electrical controls engineers use their excellent analytical and statistical skills to analyze operational processes and suggest production improvement techniques maximize productivity and reduce service delays. They conduct preventive maintenance on the equipment and machinery, including network and system configuration, to increase efficiency and accuracy. An electrical controls engineer maintains operational reports, including equipment and machinery instructional manuals for reference.
An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Electrical controls engineers and instrumentation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Controls Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,681 | $88,783 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $108,000 | Between $65,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Tallgrass Energy | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Government |
There are a few differences between an electrical controls engineer and an instrumentation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Controls Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical controls engineers' and instrumentation engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Controls Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |