Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between special project engineers and controls designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a special project engineer and a controls designer. Additionally, a controls designer has an average salary of $91,944, which is higher than the $70,934 average annual salary of a special project engineer.
The top three skills for a special project engineer include DOD, design changes and engineering support. The most important skills for a controls designer are PLC, control panels, and IDS.
| Special Project Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,934 | $91,944 |
| Hourly rate | $34.10 | $44.20 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 90,999 | 79,729 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A special project engineer is in-charged in the preparation, scheduling, coordination, and monitoring of engineering projects. He/She or she should be able to establish good relationships with prospective clients to gain information on engineering requirements and delegate tasks to staff. The core skills that a special project engineer should possess include good creative ability and excellent mechanical and listening skills. Other requirements to qualify for the position include a college degree in business or mechanical engineering.
Controls designers both design and draft systems of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical controls for equipment and machines. The designers make diagrams of the logic system for timing and sequence control. They illustrate and describe details for installation and maintenance, such as bearing lubrication and lubrication types. It is part of their job to review schematics with the representatives of customers to answer questions during robot system installation. Also, they may design energy conversion controls.
Special project engineers and controls designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Project Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Average salary | $70,934 | $91,944 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $95,000 | Between $69,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | Visteon |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a special project engineer and a controls designer in terms of educational background:
| Special Project Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between special project engineers' and controls designers' demographics:
| Special Project Engineer | Controls Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 17.7% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |