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The differences between senior control systems 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 senior control systems engineer and a control systems engineer. Additionally, a senior control systems engineer has an average salary of $109,721, which is higher than the $92,727 average annual salary of a control systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior control systems engineer include MATLAB, C++ and project management. The most important skills for a control systems engineer are PLC, HMI, and C++.
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,721 | $92,727 |
| Hourly rate | $52.75 | $44.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 154,439 | 133,220 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
As senior control systems engineer's main task is to provide automatic solutions to their company through technologies such as DCS, PLC, and custom-built panels. They are responsible for designing and analyzing control systems for their company and identifying any potential issues. They troubleshoot the malfunctions within the control systems of the company. In addition to that, they provide the company with system designs and engineering tasks.
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.
Senior control systems engineers and control systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,721 | $92,727 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $142,000 | Between $72,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior control systems engineer and a control systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior control systems engineers' and control systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9% | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.9% White, 64.2% 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% |