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The differences between project controls specialists and field managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a project controls specialist and a field manager. Additionally, a project controls specialist has an average salary of $85,159, which is higher than the $68,695 average annual salary of a field manager.
The top three skills for a project controls specialist include project controls, project management and work breakdown structure. The most important skills for a field manager are minor maintenance, patients, and customer service.
| Project Controls Specialist | Field Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $85,159 | $68,695 |
| Hourly rate | $40.94 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 21,484 | 79,908 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A project controls specialist is responsible for establishing project management procedures to achieve project goals and objectives by following clients' specifications and requirements within the budget limitations and timetable. Project controls specialists implement strategic techniques to mitigate potential project risks and promote maximum productivity by conducting regular meetings to monitor the project's progress. They also coordinate with the clients for the updates, as well as informing them of any plan adjustments. A project controls specialist maintains strict quality control processes to ensure the efficient development of the project for timely deliverables.
A field manager is an individual who manages a staff of field representatives that travel to customers' sites to promote their products or services. Field managers must hire new employees and arrange in-house and vendor training programs to ensure they have a full understanding of their responsibilities. They must evaluate all their field employees and generate reports highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team. Field managers may work in different industries that have outside sales representatives such as pharmaceutical companies, computer repair companies, or HVAC companies.
Project controls specialists and field managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Controls Specialist | Field Manager | |
| Average salary | $85,159 | $68,695 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $119,000 | Between $43,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Genentech | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a project controls specialist and a field manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Controls Specialist | Field Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between project controls specialists' and field managers' demographics:
| Project Controls Specialist | Field Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |