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The differences between instrumentation & control engineers and electrical designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an instrumentation & control engineer and an electrical designer. Additionally, an instrumentation & control engineer has an average salary of $92,464, which is higher than the $64,930 average annual salary of an electrical designer.
The top three skills for an instrumentation & control engineer include PLC, HMI and SCADA. The most important skills for an electrical designer are revit, electrical design, and autocad electrical.
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Electrical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,464 | $64,930 |
| Hourly rate | $44.45 | $31.22 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,065 | 82,332 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings. The position requires good initiative, writing, speaking, and mathematical skills to accomplish such responsibilities. The job's education requirements include possessing a college degree in electrical engineering, design, or a related field.
Instrumentation & control engineers and electrical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Electrical Designer | |
| Average salary | $92,464 | $64,930 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $121,000 | Between $47,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Marathon Petroleum | Amd |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an instrumentation & control engineer and an electrical designer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Electrical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between instrumentation & control engineers' and electrical designers' demographics:
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Electrical Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |