Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior controls engineers and senior 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 senior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, 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 engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,298 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $51.59 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 39,440 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| 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 senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Senior controls engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,298 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $138,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Sagent Pharmaceuticals | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior controls engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 engineers' demographics:
| Senior Controls Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |