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The differences between senior controls engineers and senior electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior controls engineer, becoming a senior electrical engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $107,298 average annual salary of a senior controls engineer.
The top three skills for a senior controls engineer include control systems, HMI and C++. The most important skills for a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,298 | $109,315 |
| Hourly rate | $51.59 | $52.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 39,440 | 82,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
Senior controls engineers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,298 | $109,315 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $138,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sagent Pharmaceuticals | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior controls engineer and a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior controls engineers' and senior electrical engineers' demographics:
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |