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The differences between instrumentation engineers and 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 engineer and an electrical engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation engineer has an average salary of $88,783, which is higher than the $81,026 average annual salary of an electrical engineer.
The top three skills for an instrumentation engineer include PLC, autocad and analyzers. The most important skills for an electrical engineer are autocad, electrical systems, and UL.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,783 | $81,026 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $38.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,735 | 68,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing and developing new electrical systems, solving issues, and testing equipment. They work on various technologies, including telecommunication systems, satellite communications, and electrical power stations. Electrical engineers study and apply the mathematics and physics of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity to small and large-scale electrical systems to transmit energy and process information. They often work with all types of electronic devices, such as supercomputers and power transmission. They also work in the emerging field of microelectronics.
Instrumentation engineers and electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,783 | $81,026 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $119,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instrumentation engineer and an electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between instrumentation engineers' and electrical engineers' demographics:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |