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The differences between vehicle controls engineers and service 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 service engineer. Additionally, a vehicle controls engineer has an average salary of $98,897, which is higher than the $87,151 average annual salary of a service engineer.
The top three skills for a vehicle controls engineer include canalyzer, vehicle dynamics and control systems. The most important skills for a service engineer are customer service, infrastructure, and cloud.
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Service Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,897 | $87,151 |
| Hourly rate | $47.55 | $41.90 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 78,830 | 143,806 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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 service engineer is responsible for assisting the customers' concerns regarding the products and services offered by the company through technical support solutions. Service engineers conduct preventive maintenance, upgrade systems to boost optimal performance, create product manuals, record the occurring issues, perform adjustments on the systems infrastructure, identify business opportunities to generate more revenues, and analyze current market trends to meet client demands. A service engineer must have excellent communication skills, including extensive knowledge of the technology industry and network systems.
Vehicle controls engineers and service engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Service Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,897 | $87,151 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $142,000 | Between $62,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a vehicle controls engineer and a service engineer in terms of educational background:
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Service Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between vehicle controls engineers' and service engineers' demographics:
| Vehicle Controls Engineer | Service Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 13.2% White, 69.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |