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The differences between manufacturing controls engineers and senior staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a manufacturing controls engineer, becoming a senior staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $96,327 average annual salary of a manufacturing controls engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing controls engineer include PLC, CNC and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,327 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $46.31 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 51,699 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A manufacturing controls engineer ensures the manufacturing process of a plant is run efficiently and complies with all safety standards. Their role is to develop equipment to monitor and control efficiency of engineering systems and machinery, implement processes that will help manufacturers increase productivity, conduct research, test and analyze designs, and monitor the strategies implemented to ensure functionality. This position requires an engineering degree.
A senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Manufacturing controls engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,327 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $125,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | JUUL | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing controls engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between manufacturing controls engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Controls Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 10.1% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |