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The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical 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 engineer. Additionally, an electrical & instrumentation designer has an average salary of $81,188, which is higher than the $81,026 average annual salary of an electrical engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer include PLC, instrumentation design and control systems. The most important skills for an electrical engineer are autocad, electrical systems, and UL.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,188 | $81,026 |
| Hourly rate | $39.03 | $38.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,243 | 68,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing and developing new electrical systems, solving issues, and testing equipment. They work on various technologies, including telecommunication systems, satellite communications, and electrical power stations. Electrical engineers study and apply the mathematics and physics of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity to small and large-scale electrical systems to transmit energy and process information. They often work with all types of electronic devices, such as supercomputers and power transmission. They also work in the emerging field of microelectronics.
Electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,188 | $81,026 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $109,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Redmond, WA |
| 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 engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 engineers' demographics:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |