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The differences between senior process control engineers and product support 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 product support 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 $90,379 average annual salary of a product support engineer.
The top three skills for a senior process control engineer include PLC, DCS and control strategies. The most important skills for a product support engineer are product support, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,292 | $90,379 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $43.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 68,538 | 201,554 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| 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.
A product support engineer is responsible for resolving technical issues of end-users regarding the products and services offered by the company. Product support engineers conduct troubleshooting operations for system failures and write resolution reports for reference. They also support the product analysts in improving the product's features and processes to prevent the reoccurrence of defects and maintain optimal performance. A product support engineer designs automation procedures and runs multiple diagnostic tests to ensure high-quality outputs and avoid operational delays.
Senior process control engineers and product support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,292 | $90,379 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $135,000 | Between $67,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tesoro | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior process control engineer and a product support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior process control engineers' and product support engineers' demographics:
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7% | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 13.0% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |