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The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical 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 & instrumentation designer and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, an electrical design engineer has an average salary of $83,944, which is higher than the $81,188 average annual salary of an electrical & instrumentation designer.
The top three skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer include PLC, instrumentation design and control systems. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,188 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $39.03 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,243 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An electrical instrumentation designer's main job is to design instruments that can be used in various areas such as laboratories, power plants, or research institutes. They work together with a team or individually to design instruments, create a prototype, and test its functions. They can even install these instruments in different establishments and locations. They are tasked with repair and training engineers. At other times, they are assigned to record expenses and other documentation.
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
Electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,188 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $109,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical & instrumentation designer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical & instrumentation designers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% 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, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |