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Electrical systems designer vs instrumentation & control engineer

The differences between electrical systems designers and instrumentation & control 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 systems designer and an instrumentation & control engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation & control engineer has an average salary of $92,464, which is higher than the $83,110 average annual salary of an electrical systems designer.

The top three skills for an electrical systems designer include autocad, PLC and electrical systems. The most important skills for an instrumentation & control engineer are PLC, HMI, and SCADA.

Electrical systems designer vs instrumentation & control engineer overview

Electrical Systems DesignerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Yearly salary$83,110$92,464
Hourly rate$39.96$44.45
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs126,50251,065
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

Electrical systems designer vs instrumentation & control engineer salary

Electrical systems designers and instrumentation & control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical Systems DesignerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Average salary$83,110$92,464
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $108,000Between $70,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Marathon Petroleum
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between electrical systems designer and instrumentation & control engineer education

There are a few differences between an electrical systems designer and an instrumentation & control engineer in terms of educational background:

Electrical Systems DesignerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical systems designer vs instrumentation & control engineer demographics

Here are the differences between electrical systems designers' and instrumentation & control engineers' demographics:

Electrical Systems DesignerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 94.4% Female, 5.6%Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical systems designer and instrumentation & control engineer duties and responsibilities

Electrical systems designer example responsibilities.

  • Lead RF characterization efforts of implantable medical device in order to determine safety limit.
  • Utilize AutoCAD skills to layout and draw specific diagrams/drawings.
  • Conduct site inspection of systems and materials to verify their quality and adherence to NEC, NFPA.
  • Design in Solidworks and fabricate components.
  • Generate comprehensive reports for future PV system features and detail economics.
  • Created/Modify assembly drawings and relate drawings using AutoCad and other relate software.
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Instrumentation & control engineer example responsibilities.

  • Write and track purchase requisitions for parts and contract work then manage all contractors for electrical and HVAC work to completion.
  • Lead the development of smarter controls utilizing DeviceNet and Profibus architecture.
  • Develop control logic flow sheets, control loops, functional descriptions of control strategy, PLC programming and HMI configurations etc.
  • Land navigation with GPS, compass and maps.
  • Test HMI and ladder logic programming for functional approval.
  • Insure instruments meet or exceed the SIL rating of use.
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Electrical systems designer vs instrumentation & control engineer skills

Common electrical systems designer skills
  • Autocad, 20%
  • PLC, 11%
  • Electrical Systems, 10%
  • Electrical Design, 10%
  • Allen-Bradley, 7%
  • Electrical Equipment, 6%
Common instrumentation & control engineer skills
  • PLC, 13%
  • HMI, 8%
  • SCADA, 5%
  • Process Control, 5%
  • Autocad, 4%
  • Engineering Design, 4%

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