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The differences between senior field engineers and instrumentation engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior field engineer and an instrumentation engineer. Additionally, a senior field engineer has an average salary of $97,104, which is higher than the $88,783 average annual salary of an instrumentation engineer.
The top three skills for a senior field engineer include RF, technical support and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for an instrumentation engineer are PLC, autocad, and analyzers.
| Senior Field Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,104 | $88,783 |
| Hourly rate | $46.68 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 86,767 | 45,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior field engineer is in charge of overseeing and providing technical support on-site, helping operations run smoothly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include performing installations and upgrades, performing research and analysis, managing staff, producing progress reports, and conducting inspections, ensuring compliance with state laws and regulations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks on equipment, performing corrective repairs and adjustments when necessary. Furthermore, as a senior field engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers while implementing the site's safety policies and regulations.
An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Senior field engineers and instrumentation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Field Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,104 | $88,783 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $139,000 | Between $65,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior field engineer and an instrumentation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Field Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior field engineers' and instrumentation engineers' demographics:
| Senior Field Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |