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The differences between project controls engineers and control systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a project controls engineer and a control systems engineer. Additionally, a control systems engineer has an average salary of $92,727, which is higher than the $86,685 average annual salary of a project controls engineer.
The top three skills for a project controls engineer include project controls, project management and construction management. The most important skills for a control systems engineer are PLC, HMI, and C++.
| Project Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,685 | $92,727 |
| Hourly rate | $41.68 | $44.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 38,974 | 133,220 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Project Controls Engineer creates project cost reports and progress charts. These professionals interpret the company contract and deal with the existing cost control database and financial risk. Project Controls Engineers reconcile and organize the project cost information with the clients' status reports. Also, they evaluate cash flow reports and project cost reports prepared by CMA.
Control systems engineers are interdisciplinary engineers managing the company's control systems. They are expected to be familiar with different engineering disciplines such as mechanical, industrial, and computer science, among others. They are responsible for designing systems based on the company's requirements. Control systems engineers must conduct feasibility studies to ensure that the company's requirements can be met. They are also responsible for developing the systems, creating prototypes, and testing. They test whether the control systems produce desired results. After testing, control systems engineers implement the system and conduct routine maintenance checks.
Project controls engineers and control systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,685 | $92,727 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $119,000 | Between $72,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a project controls engineer and a control systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between project controls engineers' and control systems engineers' demographics:
| Project Controls Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |