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The differences between instrumentation engineers and tool 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 tool engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a tool engineer has an average salary of $101,135, 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 tool engineer are python, java, and CAD.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,783 | $101,135 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $48.62 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,735 | 98,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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.
A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
Instrumentation engineers and tool engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrumentation Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,783 | $101,135 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $119,000 | Between $75,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Novato, 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 tool engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between instrumentation engineers' and tool engineers' demographics:
| Instrumentation Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |