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The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and senior 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 a senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, 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 a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,188 | $109,315 |
| Hourly rate | $39.03 | $52.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,243 | 82,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
Electrical & instrumentation designers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,188 | $109,315 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $109,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical & instrumentation designer and a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior electrical engineers' demographics:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |