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The differences between instrumentation engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an instrumentation engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, which is higher than the $88,783 average annual salary of an instrumentation engineer.
The top three skills for an instrumentation engineer include PLC, autocad and analyzers. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,783 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,735 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Instrumentation engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,783 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $119,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Apple | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Government | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an instrumentation engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between instrumentation engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |