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The differences between electrical controls engineers and system design 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 a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, 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 a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Electrical Controls Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,681 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $39.75 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 54,037 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Electrical controls engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Controls Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,681 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $108,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Tallgrass Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electrical controls engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Controls Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 system design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Controls Engineer | System Design 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, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |