Controls Engineer vs Systems Engineer
Pay, skills and open jobs side by side, from current job postings across the US.
Pay
Controls Engineer
$117,000 typical, a year
Most Controls Engineers earn $97,500 to $137,100 a year.
From 1,243 postings that list pay
3,390 open jobs now
Systems Engineer
$148,700 typical, a year
Most Systems Engineers earn $123,000 to $177,100 a year.
From 4,996 postings that list pay
8,968 open jobs now
Systems Engineers typically earn about $31,700 more a year than Controls Engineers.
What each one does
Controls Engineer
- Program and configure PLC systems to control automated equipment.
- Design electrical schematics and control panel drawings.
- Troubleshoot and repair mechanical and electrical equipment.
- Create bills of materials for control system components.
- Test and debug automation systems before and after installation.
- Lead factory and site acceptance testing of systems.
Summed up from 30 job postings
Systems Engineer
- Develop and document system requirements and specifications.
- Design and develop system architectures and subsystems.
- Perform system integration and test activities.
- Conduct technical analysis and trade studies.
- Create and maintain technical documentation and reports.
- Lead technical reviews and design decisions.
Summed up from 30 job postings
Skills employers ask for
Controls Engineer
Asked for in both
- Electrical Engineering 3 in 10 postings
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering 2 in 10 postings
More common in Controls Engineer postings
- Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) 4 in 10 postings
- Controls Engineering 3 in 10 postings
- SCADA Systems 3 in 10 postings
- PLC Programming 2 in 10 postings
- Allen-Bradley 2 in 10 postings
- Commissioning 2 in 10 postings
- Industrial Automation 2 in 10 postings
- Modbus 2 in 10 postings
Systems Engineer
Asked for in both
- Electrical Engineering 2 in 10 postings
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering 3 in 10 postings
More common in Systems Engineer postings
- System Engineering 5 in 10 postings
- U.S. Citizenship 2 in 10 postings
- System Integration 2 in 10 postings
- Secret Security Clearance 2 in 10 postings
- System Requirements 2 in 10 postings
- MBSE 2 in 10 postings
- Technical Degree 2 in 10 postings
- Python 2 in 10 postings
Out of each role's current postings.
Open jobs
Controls Engineer
Senior Controls Engineer
Globe MachinePay not stated Tacoma, WA, USAutoCADStudio5000PLC ProgrammingPneumaticCommissioning +8- Pay not stated Herndon, Virginia, USAAWSElectrical SchematicsRoot Cause AnalysisChange ManagementLow Voltage Systems +7
- Pay not stated Coyanosa, Texas, USAAWSElectrical SchematicsBACnetRoot Cause AnalysisCommissioning +11
Systems Engineer
Aviation Systems Engineer
SignalinkPay not stated Huntsville, AlabamaEngineering AnalysisRotorcraftISO-9001System EngineeringAvionics +5Enterprise Services Systems Engineer (Secret)
Elite TechnicalPay not stated Scottsdale, AZ, US HybridVersion ControlGovCloudAWSSecurity GroupsInfrastructure as Code +5Senior Enterprise Services Systems Engineer (Secret)
Elite TechnicalPay not stated Scottsdale, AZ, US HybridVersion ControlGovCloudAWSBacklog ManagementSecurity Groups +5
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