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The differences between senior process control engineers and control systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior process control engineer, becoming a control systems engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior process control engineer has an average salary of $103,292, which is higher than the $92,727 average annual salary of a control systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior process control engineer include PLC, DCS and control strategies. The most important skills for a control systems engineer are PLC, HMI, and C++.
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,292 | $92,727 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $44.58 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 68,538 | 133,220 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A senior process control engineer is charged with configuring, standardizing, and optimizing systems within the equipment control domain. They are tasked with defining system requirements, participating in configuring systems, liaising between end-users and system developers, and driving projects from stand to the end. They must also participate in the strategic direction of equipment control teams, production process improvements, and project implementation and prioritization. Their other responsibilities include partnering with technology experts to build progressive system solutions, planning training, and ensuring safety compliance.
Control systems engineers are interdisciplinary engineers managing the company's control systems. They are expected to be familiar with different engineering disciplines such as mechanical, industrial, and computer science, among others. They are responsible for designing systems based on the company's requirements. Control systems engineers must conduct feasibility studies to ensure that the company's requirements can be met. They are also responsible for developing the systems, creating prototypes, and testing. They test whether the control systems produce desired results. After testing, control systems engineers implement the system and conduct routine maintenance checks.
Senior process control engineers and control systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,292 | $92,727 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $135,000 | Between $72,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tesoro | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior process control engineer and a control systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior process control engineers' and control systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Control Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7% | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |