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The differences between senior electronic engineers and controls 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 electronic engineer and a controls engineer. Additionally, a senior electronic engineer has an average salary of $106,931, which is higher than the $84,532 average annual salary of a controls engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electronic engineer include power electronics, analog and C++. The most important skills for a controls engineer are C++, troubleshoot, and UL.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Controls Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,931 | $84,532 |
| Hourly rate | $51.41 | $40.64 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 63,815 | 50,203 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Electronics Engineer is responsible for the directive development of communication systems, the field support design, equipment modifications, and technical issuances. This position demands knowledge in applied engineering principles to analyze and test electronic system performances or applications, technical documentation, producing engineering prototypes, and developing software. These professionals work with different equipment, from phones to PCs and even medical equipment or military systems. A Senior Electronics Engineer's tasks include checking the quality of the equipment they are using and ensuring that projects are cost-efficient, completed on time, and safe.
A Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and supervising electrical control systems, machinery, and equipment. They oversee projects from initial concept to installation and commissioning.
Senior electronic engineers and controls engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Controls Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,931 | $84,532 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $141,000 | Between $64,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior electronic engineer and a controls engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Controls Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior electronic engineers' and controls engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Controls Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 15.9% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |