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The differences between electrical maintenance engineers and instrumentation 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 maintenance engineer and an instrumentation engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation engineer has an average salary of $88,783, 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 instrumentation engineer are PLC, autocad, and analyzers.
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,585 | $88,783 |
| Hourly rate | $37.30 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 90,479 | 45,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Electrical maintenance engineers and instrumentation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,585 | $88,783 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $106,000 | Between $65,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | The Woodlands, TX | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Government |
There are a few differences between an electrical maintenance engineer and an instrumentation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical maintenance engineers' and instrumentation engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Maintenance Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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, 15.5% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |