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The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and field test 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 test engineer. Additionally, an electrical & instrumentation designer has an average salary of $81,188, which is higher than the $74,767 average annual salary of a field test engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer include PLC, instrumentation design and control systems. The most important skills for a field test engineer are field testing, test results, and RF.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,188 | $74,767 |
| Hourly rate | $39.03 | $35.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,243 | 97,199 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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.
Field test engineers evaluate operational performances and recommend improvements if needed. Field test engineers develop standard procedures for field testing and log test results accurately for future reference. Part of their responsibilities is to perform root cause analysis to determine the reason for product failures and develop corrective actions. They document all corrective actions accurately, maintain testing equipment and supplies in good working condition, and collaborate with support engineers in troubleshooting and resolving problems.
Electrical & instrumentation designers and field test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,188 | $74,767 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $109,000 | Between $57,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Livermore, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Virginia |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical & instrumentation designer and a field test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 field test engineers' demographics:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Field Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% |
| 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, 11.4% Asian, 16.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |