Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and field 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 a field engineer. Additionally, an electrical & instrumentation designer has an average salary of $81,188, which is higher than the $71,874 average annual salary of a field engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer include PLC, instrumentation design and control systems. The most important skills for a field engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,188 | $71,874 |
| Hourly rate | $39.03 | $34.55 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,243 | 86,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
A field engineer's role will vary on the industry or line of work involved. However, the primary responsibility will mostly revolve around handling equipment and machinery, ensuring that they function effectively and safely. It is also the task of a field engineer to oversee the workflow and workforce, giving directions and recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, a field engineer must develop strategies and plans to improve the site's efficiency, produce progress reports, and coordinate with other workers.
Electrical & instrumentation designers and field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,188 | $71,874 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $109,000 | Between $51,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between an electrical & instrumentation designer and a field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between electrical & instrumentation designers' and field engineers' demographics:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| 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, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |