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The differences between project controls engineers and senior controls 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 senior controls engineer. Additionally, a senior controls engineer has an average salary of $107,298, 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 senior controls engineer are control systems, HMI, and C++.
| Project Controls Engineer | Senior Controls Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,685 | $107,298 |
| Hourly rate | $41.68 | $51.59 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 38,974 | 39,440 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A senior controls engineer specializes in designing and developing control systems in various industries. Their responsibilities typically include identifying and understanding the company's needs, producing prototypes and test structures, gathering and analyzing data to identify areas needing improvement, implementing solutions in vulnerable areas, and providing technical support when necessary. Furthermore, as a senior controls engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Project controls engineers and senior controls engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Controls Engineer | Senior Controls Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,685 | $107,298 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $119,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Sagent Pharmaceuticals |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a project controls engineer and a senior controls engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Controls Engineer | Senior Controls Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project controls engineers' and senior controls engineers' demographics:
| Project Controls Engineer | Senior Controls Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |