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The differences between solar designers 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 solar designer and an instrumentation engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation engineer has an average salary of $88,783, which is higher than the $58,292 average annual salary of a solar designer.
The top three skills for a solar designer include CAD, system design and solar power. The most important skills for an instrumentation engineer are PLC, autocad, and analyzers.
| Solar Designer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,292 | $88,783 |
| Hourly rate | $28.02 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,160 | 45,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Solar designers and instrumentation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solar Designer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $58,292 | $88,783 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $94,000 | Between $65,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Petaluma, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Smith & Associates | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a solar designer and an instrumentation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Solar Designer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between solar designers' and instrumentation engineers' demographics:
| Solar Designer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |