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The differences between instrumentation engineers and research and development 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 a research and development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a research and development engineer has an average salary of $100,169, 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 a research and development engineer are python, R, and solidworks.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Research And Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,783 | $100,169 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $48.16 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,735 | 187,910 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
Instrumentation engineers and research and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Research And Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,783 | $100,169 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $119,000 | Between $74,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instrumentation engineer and a research and development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Research And Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between instrumentation engineers' and research and development engineers' demographics:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Research And Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |