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The differences between electrical maintenance engineers and electrical & instrumentation 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 maintenance engineer and an electrical & instrumentation designer. Additionally, an electrical & instrumentation designer has an average salary of $81,188, which is higher than the $77,585 average annual salary of an electrical maintenance engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical maintenance engineer include PLC, electrical equipment and control systems. The most important skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer are PLC, instrumentation design, and control systems.
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,585 | $81,188 |
| Hourly rate | $37.30 | $39.03 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 90,479 | 81,243 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Associate Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
As a part of the maintenance team, the electrical maintenance engineer is responsible for maintaining electrical fixtures used by establishments. They install electrical equipment such as switches and elevators, repair if the damage is present, and maintain their proper function. They are hired independently or contractually in industrial establishments to do their job. They must respond quickly if a malfunction is observed, ensuring safety along the way. They must have good communication skills to work with the team.
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 maintenance engineers and electrical & instrumentation designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Average salary | $77,585 | $81,188 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $106,000 | Between $60,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | The Woodlands, TX | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Chevron | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between an electrical maintenance engineer and an electrical & instrumentation designer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Associate Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical maintenance engineers' and electrical & instrumentation designers' demographics:
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% 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, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |