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The differences between vehicle controls engineers and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a vehicle controls engineer and a chief engineer. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $98,897 average annual salary of a vehicle controls engineer.
The top three skills for a vehicle controls engineer include canalyzer, vehicle dynamics and control systems. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,897 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $47.55 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 78,830 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A vehicle controls engineer specializes in designing and developing automotive systems and solutions. They usually work at automotive manufacturing facilities where they spearhead projects, conduct research and analyses, gather and analyze data, study client and market feedback, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems to develop strategies that will optimize operations. Moreover, a vehicle controls engineer develops prototypes and test structures, coordinates with fellow experts, troubleshoots problems, set safety and efficiency guidelines, and manages staff while implementing company policies and regulations.
A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.
Vehicle controls engineers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,897 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $142,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a vehicle controls engineer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between vehicle controls engineers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |