Instrumentation engineering is a combination of electrical, computing and control engineering. Instrumentation engineers, also known as electrical engineers, design, monitor and enhance intricate instrumentation systems to enhance productivity. These engineers often gain employment in processing plants and manufacturing companies. Understanding what an instrumentation engineer does can help you discover if it's a career path you may find interesting. In this article, we discuss what instrumentation and control engineers do, describe what their daily duties are, share their typical working conditions, state how much they earn, outline how to become one and provide the skills they commonly have.

You'll need to develop skills in specific control disciplines, such as:

• advanced process control (APC)
• distributed control systems (DCS)
• programmable logic controllers (PLC)
• supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).

The use of these disciplines will depend on your job. In general however, tasks and responsibilities can include:

• Designing and developing new control systems
• Testing, maintaining and modifying existing systems
• Analysing data and presenting findings in written reports
• Managing operations
• Working collaboratively with design engineers, operation engineers, purchasers and other internal staff
• Liaising with clients, suppliers, contractors and relevant authorities (e.g. the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority)
• Project management within cost and time constrained environments
• Understanding and ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety regulations and quality standards
• Providing advice and consultancy support
• Purchasing equipment
• Writing computer software and test procedures
• Developing new business proposals.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

The national average salary of an instrumentation engineer is $145,664 per year. How much you earn in this role can depend on various factors. These factors may include your level of education, qualifications and years in the role. It can also depend on where you work and what type of company that employs you. As a self-employed engineer, you can set your own rates.

There are many around the world as instrumental engineers, but there are very few good and high-level professionals. Below, you can find some general steps to take to become an instrumentation engineer:

Obtain a Diploma: To gain employment in instrumentation engineering, it's typically a requirement to have a Diploma qualification in an area of engineering. Which area of engineering you choose to major in can depend on your specific interests. You could consider a Bachelor of Engineering (Instrumentation Control and Automation) or a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic). Getting a bachelor degree such as these can provide you with technical engineering skills, expert design and development skills and the ability to manage instrumentation control systems and lead integrative projects. 

Apply for an entry-level job: Those who recruit electrical engineers often expect them to have several years of experience. Because of this, it can be a great idea to apply for an entry-level role in electricity or electro-mechanics or as a junior on an instrumentation team. Working in a junior position can provide you with the hard skills and on-the-job training you require to pursue your career as an instrumentation engineer confidently.

Become a licensed professional: If you intend to work independently in this role, there's usually a requirement for licensing and insurance. Once you meet the necessary criteria, you can register with a professional engineering body. Electrical and automation engineers generally register with the National Engineering Register (NER). The NER comprises an extensive collection of engineers across the country who meet the standards and expectations of the engineering industry. As an independent engineer, registration with a body such as NER can also help to connect you to career opportunities.

Apply for a job as an electrical engineer: Once you have the required qualifications and some work experience, you can apply for a job as an electrical engineer. If you're currently working in an entry-level position, you may work towards a promotion at your current workplace. Otherwise, you can apply for a systems engineering job elsewhere. You can browse jobs online and shortlist those of particular interest to you. Before applying, it can be a great idea to ensure your resume is up to date and tailored to suit the role you're applying for, in terms of the keywords you use.

There are many hard and soft skills that can be beneficial in a control and instrumentation engineering career. Below, you can find some of the common ones:

• Problem-solving skills: Troubleshooting complex systems can be a common feature of a role in this field. Problem-solving skills can allow you the ability to identify and define issues and develop and implement systematic solutions.
• Numeracy skills: Working in engineering can often involve working with advanced mathematical information. Equipped with numeracy skills, you can understand, use and share this information effectively.
• Communication skills: Working as an instrumentation engineer is a job that requires frequent interaction with others. Communication skills can help you convey ideas and information to other engineers and colleagues with clarity and conciseness.
• Computer technology skills: In this role, you can expect to spend a lot of time working with computers and other technology. Being technologically minded with advanced computer technology skills can help you use computer programs and applications effectively.
• Attention to detail: Systems engineering can be complex and intricate. Because of this, a high level of attention to detail can be beneficial in this role to help you do your job accurately and productively.

Regardless of the level of entry, work experience can be a vital part of your career path. Many large employers offer structured internship programmes and vacation placement schemes. These provide an excellent insight into the nature of the work and are often hands-on. You should apply early, as places are limited and competition is strong.
Some courses offer a year in industry, which really helps to demonstrate what the career will be like, as well as making some good contacts for future job prospects. Your course tutors or careers service should be able to help set this up.
Work shadowing a C&I engineer may also be useful, as it shows interest and commitment.

As a control and instrumentation engineer your skills will be in demand in a range of engineering sectors, including:

• Automotive
• Construction
• Rail
• Telecommunications.
• Oil & Gas Industry

The most widely recognised recruiters of C&I engineers, however, are the following types of organisations:

• Chemical engineering
• Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)
• Manufacturing
• Oil and Gas, power generation and energy
• Pharmaceutical
• Utilities.

Other sectors include aerospace, marine, materials and defence engineering, and environmental agencies.
C&I engineers are also employed by companies that produce control and instrumentation equipment

You'll need to have a good understanding of the main processes of the organisation employing you.
For this reason, initial training is usually in-house and involves an introduction to various operations and training on manufacturing processes, testing, quality standards, assembly and installation, all specific to the company. This training is usually conducted by senior engineers.
Most engineers work towards achieving professional engineer status, typically becoming a chartered engineer (CEng). This is an internationally recognised engineering qualification, which is awarded by the Engineering Council. CEng status provides higher earning potential and improved career prospects.
To become chartered, you need to be a member of a professional institution to be able to apply through them for registration.

Relevant engineering bodies include the:

• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC).
  
  

The process of becoming chartered is more straightforward if you have certain academic qualifications, which include:

• An accredited degree in engineering or technology, plus an appropriate Masters degree or engineering doctorate (EngD) that is accredited by a professional institution
• An accredited integrated MEng degree.

As a C&I engineer you will progress through your career typically acquiring specialist knowledge of a particular industry sector and/or area of C&I knowledge.
Working towards professional registration, such as incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng) can aid career progression, depending on your level of qualification.
In more senior roles you may lead a team or manage test programmes. Senior positions carry the highest level of responsibility and typically include planning and management activities, as well as leading new developments. Senior engineers in production and operation functions can often be representatives at board level.
Given the multidisciplinary nature of the role, working closely with colleagues across all functions and acquiring skills in a range of areas, you may choose to move sideways into other career areas either within or outside the industry. This could include areas such as:

• Finance
• General management
• HR
• IT
• Marketing
• Purchasing
• Sales.

It may be possible to draw upon your experience to pursue consultancy-based work, or to engage in academic research in universities or undertake work as a lecturer or trainer.

Today, you can find instrumentation in any laboratory that requires accuracy and reliability for results. Instrumentation also serves as the interface between the user and the controlled variable. For example, it serves as the interface between the human operator and a process control system in chemical plants and paper mills. Because of the advances in instrumentation, there is a growing need to understand instrumentation, the components and the systems that use instruments, the applications for instruments, the uses of instruments, and the problems associated with instruments.

Instrumentation engineering degrees help students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to work in the instrumentation profession. There's a lot of potential in this field and students who graduate with their instrumentation engineering degrees can get jobs in a variety of settings. This industry is an example of an expanding and fast-growing technology industry.
The applications of instrumentation have grown with instrument technology. The major applications of instrumentation are control, diagnosis, sensing, monitoring, feedback control, and other forms of feedback control. This has caused the instrumentation industry to extend into many areas that were previously not considered part of the instrumentation.