Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior process control engineers and senior staff 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 senior staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $103,292 average annual salary of a senior process control engineer.
The top three skills for a senior process control engineer include PLC, DCS and control strategies. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,292 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 68,538 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Senior process control engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,292 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $135,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tesoro | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior process control engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between senior process control engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Senior Process Control Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |