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The differences between field electrical 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 a field electrical engineer and an electrical & instrumentation designer. Additionally, a field electrical engineer has an average salary of $86,347, which is higher than the $81,188 average annual salary of an electrical & instrumentation designer.
The top three skills for a field electrical engineer include electrical systems, oil gas and control systems. The most important skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer are PLC, instrumentation design, and control systems.
| Field Electrical Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,347 | $81,188 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $39.03 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 97,684 | 81,243 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Associate Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Buildings must be safe especially in term of wirings for electricity. This aspect is the main job of a field electrical engineer. Possessing enough mathematical, chemistry and physics knowledge, they work hand in hand with construction workers to develop safe and equitable electrical system of any building. They also test machines for any defect and design and develop new systems to further enhance safety. They have the necessary ability to solve any damage to equipment.
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.
Field electrical engineers and electrical & instrumentation designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Electrical Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Average salary | $86,347 | $81,188 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $111,000 | Between $60,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Amazon | - |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a field electrical engineer and an electrical & instrumentation designer in terms of educational background:
| Field Electrical Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | 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 field electrical engineers' and electrical & instrumentation designers' demographics:
| Field Electrical Engineer | Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.2% 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% |