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The differences between instrumentation & control engineers and field 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 instrumentation & control engineer and a field engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation & control engineer has an average salary of $92,464, which is higher than the $71,874 average annual salary of a field engineer.
The top three skills for an instrumentation & control engineer include PLC, HMI and SCADA. The most important skills for a field engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,464 | $71,874 |
| Hourly rate | $44.45 | $34.55 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,065 | 86,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
A field engineer's role will vary on the industry or line of work involved. However, the primary responsibility will mostly revolve around handling equipment and machinery, ensuring that they function effectively and safely. It is also the task of a field engineer to oversee the workflow and workforce, giving directions and recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, a field engineer must develop strategies and plans to improve the site's efficiency, produce progress reports, and coordinate with other workers.
Instrumentation & control engineers and field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,464 | $71,874 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $121,000 | Between $51,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Marathon Petroleum | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between an instrumentation & control engineer and a field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between instrumentation & control engineers' and field engineers' demographics:
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |