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Electrical & instrumentation designer vs electrical designer

The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical designers 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 designer. Additionally, an electrical & instrumentation designer has an average salary of $81,188, which is higher than the $64,930 average annual salary of an electrical designer.

The top three skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer include PLC, instrumentation design and control systems. The most important skills for an electrical designer are revit, electrical design, and autocad electrical.

Electrical & instrumentation designer vs electrical designer overview

Electrical & Instrumentation DesignerElectrical Designer
Yearly salary$81,188$64,930
Hourly rate$39.03$31.22
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs81,24382,332
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 53%Associate Degree, 47%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does an electrical & instrumentation designer do?

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.

What does an electrical designer do?

An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings. The position requires good initiative, writing, speaking, and mathematical skills to accomplish such responsibilities. The job's education requirements include possessing a college degree in electrical engineering, design, or a related field.

Electrical & instrumentation designer vs electrical designer salary

Electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical & Instrumentation DesignerElectrical Designer
Average salary$81,188$64,930
Salary rangeBetween $60,000 And $109,000Between $47,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Amd
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between electrical & instrumentation designer and electrical designer education

There are a few differences between an electrical & instrumentation designer and an electrical designer in terms of educational background:

Electrical & Instrumentation DesignerElectrical Designer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 53%Associate Degree, 47%
Most common majorDrafting And DesignElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical & instrumentation designer vs electrical designer demographics

Here are the differences between electrical & instrumentation designers' and electrical designers' demographics:

Electrical & Instrumentation DesignerElectrical Designer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 85.2% Female, 14.8%Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical & instrumentation designer and electrical designer duties and responsibilities

Electrical & instrumentation designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage database for PDF drawings and other electronic files.
  • Modify chemical process areas with new control installations, utilizing various DCS's, and PLC's on these projects.
  • Work in PDMS creating instruments, cable tray routing, locating junction boxes, remote I/O cabinets, and lighting.
  • Work include modification of existing instrument panels to accept PLC & DCS racks and wiring; update pneumatic instrumentation to electronics.
  • Develop new instrument installation detail drawings, instrument location plan drawings, instrument elevation drawings and loop diagrams for the refinery.
  • Design process plant instrumentation and electrical power systems within NEC and industry standards.
  • Show more

Electrical designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage database for PDF drawings and other electronic files.
  • Design control systems to NFPA, UL, and CE specifications to comply with country-specific standards.
  • Work conduct using PDMS, NavisWorks and AutoCAD.
  • Used INTOOLS to input instrument tags into index, customize reports & import data from PDMS into INTOOLS.
  • Integrate electrical & electronic designs into custom automation equipment using 2D & 3D design software (AutoCAD & SolidWorks).
  • Convert various units to DCS for ExxonMobil.
  • Show more

Electrical & instrumentation designer vs electrical designer skills

Common electrical & instrumentation designer skills
  • PLC, 8%
  • Instrumentation Design, 7%
  • Control Systems, 6%
  • I/O, 5%
  • Electrical Design, 4%
  • Panel Layouts, 4%
Common electrical designer skills
  • Revit, 14%
  • Electrical Design, 11%
  • Autocad Electrical, 5%
  • UL, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Schematics, 4%

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