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The differences between field test engineers 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 a field test engineer and an instrumentation & control engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation & control engineer has an average salary of $92,464, which is higher than the $74,767 average annual salary of a field test engineer.
The top three skills for a field test engineer include field testing, test results and RF. The most important skills for an instrumentation & control engineer are PLC, HMI, and SCADA.
| Field Test Engineer | Instrumentation & Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,767 | $92,464 |
| Hourly rate | $35.95 | $44.45 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 97,199 | 51,065 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Field test engineers evaluate operational performances and recommend improvements if needed. Field test engineers develop standard procedures for field testing and log test results accurately for future reference. Part of their responsibilities is to perform root cause analysis to determine the reason for product failures and develop corrective actions. They document all corrective actions accurately, maintain testing equipment and supplies in good working condition, and collaborate with support engineers in troubleshooting and resolving problems.
An instrumentation and control engineer is responsible for installing and designing technical components for engineering systems that would support production and manufacturing processes. Instrumentation and control engineers inspect control systems, modify features and infrastructure, configure controllers, and run multiple quality checks to ensure stability and optimal performance. They must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in developing system codes and analyzing programming languages to serve control functions and development. An instrumentation and control engineer also resolves system issues and write resolution reports for reference.
Field test engineers and instrumentation & control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Test Engineer | Instrumentation & Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,767 | $92,464 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $96,000 | Between $70,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Livermore, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Marathon Petroleum |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a field test engineer and an instrumentation & control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Test Engineer | Instrumentation & Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between field test engineers' and instrumentation & control engineers' demographics:
| Field Test Engineer | Instrumentation & Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 16.8% White, 62.0% 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 Percentage | 6% | 6% |