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Power generation engineer vs instrumentation & control engineer

The differences between power generation engineers and instrumentation & control 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 power generation engineer and an instrumentation & control engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation & control engineer has an average salary of $92,464, which is higher than the $86,538 average annual salary of a power generation engineer.

The top three skills for a power generation engineer include project execution, technical issues and distribution systems. The most important skills for an instrumentation & control engineer are PLC, HMI, and SCADA.

Power generation engineer vs instrumentation & control engineer overview

Power Generation EngineerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Yearly salary$86,538$92,464
Hourly rate$41.60$44.45
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs14,89351,065
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

Power generation engineer vs instrumentation & control engineer salary

Power generation engineers and instrumentation & control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Power Generation EngineerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Average salary$86,538$92,464
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $119,000Between $70,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Marathon Petroleum
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between power generation engineer and instrumentation & control engineer education

There are a few differences between a power generation engineer and an instrumentation & control engineer in terms of educational background:

Power Generation EngineerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMichigan Technological University

Power generation engineer vs instrumentation & control engineer demographics

Here are the differences between power generation engineers' and instrumentation & control engineers' demographics:

Power Generation EngineerInstrumentation & Control Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between power generation engineer and instrumentation & control engineer duties and responsibilities

Power generation engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and perform verification activities to insure device meet all safety and EMC requirements.
  • Used simulation tools to quantify different run conditions and conclude which lab have ran testing correctly.
  • Inspect and prepare quality assurance reports for new electrical substations including factory visits, assuring vendor compliance with department standards.
  • Utilize schematic drawings and technical documentation to troubleshoot technical problems within the mooring system.

Instrumentation & control engineer example responsibilities.

  • Write and track purchase requisitions for parts and contract work then manage all contractors for electrical and HVAC work to completion.
  • Lead the development of smarter controls utilizing DeviceNet and Profibus architecture.
  • Develop control logic flow sheets, control loops, functional descriptions of control strategy, PLC programming and HMI configurations etc.
  • Land navigation with GPS, compass and maps.
  • Test HMI and ladder logic programming for functional approval.
  • Insure instruments meet or exceed the SIL rating of use.
  • Show more

Power generation engineer vs instrumentation & control engineer skills

Common power generation engineer skills
  • Project Execution, 33%
  • Technical Issues, 28%
  • Distribution Systems, 8%
  • Diesel Engines, 7%
  • Engineering Support, 6%
  • Safety Equipment, 5%
Common instrumentation & control engineer skills
  • PLC, 13%
  • HMI, 8%
  • SCADA, 5%
  • Process Control, 5%
  • Autocad, 4%
  • Engineering Design, 4%

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