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The differences between electrical research engineers and electrical controls 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 research engineer and an electrical controls engineer. Additionally, an electrical research engineer has an average salary of $85,767, which is higher than the $82,681 average annual salary of an electrical controls engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical research engineer include C++, electrical systems and MATLAB. The most important skills for an electrical controls engineer are HMI, PLC, and allen-bradley.
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,767 | $82,681 |
| Hourly rate | $41.23 | $39.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 76,225 | 54,037 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The electrical research engineers are responsible for conducting research, designing and developing new and innovative electrical products or systems, and evaluate them to improve existing technical processes. They have strong analytical and critical thinking skills and professional competency to perform intensive research and collaborate on standards for procedures, and design testing methods to identify problems and solutions. Being an electrical research engineer is essential to a company since the job involves innovation and development processes.
An electrical controls engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the organization's electrical tools and equipment, usually in manufacturing and warehouse settings. Electrical controls engineers use their excellent analytical and statistical skills to analyze operational processes and suggest production improvement techniques maximize productivity and reduce service delays. They conduct preventive maintenance on the equipment and machinery, including network and system configuration, to increase efficiency and accuracy. An electrical controls engineer maintains operational reports, including equipment and machinery instructional manuals for reference.
Electrical research engineers and electrical controls engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,767 | $82,681 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $112,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Tallgrass Energy |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electrical research engineer and an electrical controls engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical research engineers' and electrical controls engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 21.4% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |