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The differences between senior controls engineers and cost 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 controls engineer and a cost engineer. Additionally, a senior controls engineer has an average salary of $107,298, which is higher than the $87,901 average annual salary of a cost engineer.
The top three skills for a senior controls engineer include control systems, HMI and C++. The most important skills for a cost engineer are project management, cost analysis, and construction management.
| Senior Controls Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,298 | $87,901 |
| Hourly rate | $51.59 | $42.26 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 39,440 | 65,278 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A cost engineer is responsible for projecting cost and expenses reports for the production process, identify and mitigate risks, and develop strategic techniques to reduce the excessive financial loss for project buildings. Cost engineers conduct data and statistical analysis to measure time deliverables and quality checks to ensure profitability and adherence to business objectives. They research and negotiate materials from trusted suppliers and vendors with high-quality products that would meet construction designs and client specifications.
Senior controls engineers and cost engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Controls Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,298 | $87,901 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $138,000 | Between $64,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Sagent Pharmaceuticals | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a senior controls engineer and a cost engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Controls Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior controls engineers' and cost engineers' demographics:
| Senior Controls Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |