Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lighting engineers and electrical controls engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a lighting engineer and an electrical controls engineer. Additionally, a lighting engineer has an average salary of $85,362, which is higher than the $82,681 average annual salary of an electrical controls engineer.
The top three skills for a lighting engineer include A/V, technical aspects and STARS. The most important skills for an electrical controls engineer are HMI, PLC, and allen-bradley.
| Lighting Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,362 | $82,681 |
| Hourly rate | $41.04 | $39.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 38,070 | 54,037 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A lighting engineer oversees everything that is happening in a tv show, concert, play, or theater production. This is the person responsible for ensuring that the lighting and the visual effects are operating just right. Their skills are essential because this will set the mood for the audience with the lighting effects that they provide. Also, they monitor the work of the flight crew and technicians.
An electrical controls engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the organization's electrical tools and equipment, usually in manufacturing and warehouse settings. Electrical controls engineers use their excellent analytical and statistical skills to analyze operational processes and suggest production improvement techniques maximize productivity and reduce service delays. They conduct preventive maintenance on the equipment and machinery, including network and system configuration, to increase efficiency and accuracy. An electrical controls engineer maintains operational reports, including equipment and machinery instructional manuals for reference.
Lighting engineers and electrical controls engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lighting Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,362 | $82,681 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $117,000 | Between $62,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | Tallgrass Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lighting engineer and an electrical controls engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lighting Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lighting engineers' and electrical controls engineers' demographics:
| Lighting Engineer | Electrical Controls Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |