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The differences between instrumentation & control engineers and senior electrical 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 senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $92,464 average annual salary of an instrumentation & control engineer.
The top three skills for an instrumentation & control engineer include PLC, HMI and SCADA. The most important skills for a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,464 | $109,315 |
| Hourly rate | $44.45 | $52.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,065 | 82,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
Instrumentation & control engineers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,464 | $109,315 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $121,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Marathon Petroleum | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instrumentation & control engineer and a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior electrical engineers' demographics:
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |