Automation Engineer Career Guide

Automation engineers play a crucial role in helping businesses streamline processes and pursue goals. Automation engineers design and build various automated machines and IT processes. In this role, you'll help improve machines in industries like computer systems, telecommunications, management, and data processing. Automation tasks such as support ticket streamlining and chatbot automation are increasingly important areas for automation engineers. 

Delve deeper into automation engineering careers and learn how to become one to determine if this is a path you would like to pursue. 

Read more: How to Become a QA Automation Tester

What does an automation engineer do?

In general, an automation engineer manages complex automated systems, designing, developing, and maintaining them to increase productivity and reduce costs for a business. IT automation engineers work with systems such as workflows and software, while industrial automation engineers may work with physical machinery. 

Examine each position in more depth to understand the expected standard tasks.

IT automation engineer

IT automation engineers create automated software processes and solutions. In this position, you can expect to work on tasks of varying complexity that involve automating data on spreadsheets or automating artificial intelligence technology. The precise responsibilities will likely vary based on your employer. However, a few typical tasks you may engage in include the following:

• Examine existing software frameworks for opportunities to automate

• Research and create new and customized automation solutions

• Run quality assurance tests on databases and software

• Identify quality issues and other bugs in service, business, or development processes

• Install new software as needed to implement automated processes

• Collaborate with other employees to learn more about the company’s automation needs

Read more: Automation vs. AI: Meaning, Differences, and Real World Uses

Industrial automation engineer

Industrial automation engineers create automated systems and components for manufacturing, assembly, and production lines. Some of the typical tasks you can anticipate to do as an industrial automation engineer include:

• Use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design schematics

• Compile documentation of automation solutions’ design and use 

• Assess a business’s processes to identify areas with effective automation use

• Perform regular maintenance and troubleshooting on automated equipment

• Create and implement new automated machinery into existing processes

• Assist in creating training materials concerning automation

• Test products and processes for maximum efficiency

• Design control systems using hardware and software technologies

Industrial automation engineers work with systems involving three elements: measurement, control, and actuators.

• Measurements come from sensors that provide input into the performance of an automated system.

• Control involves complex systems to move a system into a desired state, such as turning a furnace on or off as required to keep a consistent temperature.

• Actuators include tools like pumps, heaters, pistons, or rotors that perform the needed actions to make the automated system work correctly.

Industrial automation engineers oversee the entire lifecycle of this system.

Job growth for automation engineers

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates engineering jobs will grow at a faster-than-average rate, adding 195,000 each year from 2022 to 2032 [1]. Automation engineer careers are great options for people who have strong mechanical knowledge and enjoy solving problems.  Because of the ongoing demand for automation engineers, you can anticipate job security, a career path with options for growth, and other perks, such as the option for remote work.

Industrial automation engineers work in various manufacturing industries, including car manufacturing and food processing plants. IT automation engineers work in customer-facing businesses that use IT help desks, chatbots, and customer experience software.

Automation engineer salary

According to Glassdoor, the median base salary for an automation engineer in the US is $103,300 annually [2]. Education, years of experience, and certification are all factors that influence salary. For example, with less than one year of experience, you might make a median salary of $78,548. After working in the field for 10 to 14 years, the median salary increases to $113,627 [2]. 

Read more: What Is a Good Salary?

Required skills and education

To qualify for an automation engineer role, you'll need a solid science, technology, engineering, and math background. Like many professionals, you could develop these skills while earning a four-year degree. Businesses often seek candidates with a degree, so competing against other degree-holding professionals for positions without one might be challenging. Internships and certifications are also helpful options.

Typically, employers look for automation engineers with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, though many professionals also opt to earn graduate degrees. A graduate degree can qualify you for more advanced positions and make you more competitive for many employers.  Concentrations in statistics, robotics, databases, control systems, AI, or artificial neural networks offer insight into the automation process.

Some automation engineer skills to consider building in preparation for this job include:

Read more: Types of Engineering Degrees: Your Guide

Technical skills

• Experience with programming languages, such as Python or JavaScript

• Experience with automation frameworks 

• The ability to write automation scripts

• Software development and testing

• Cloud-based computing

• Coding experience

• Experience writing protocols

Workplace skills

• Problem-solving

• Analytical skills

• Communication skills 

Certifications

Licensing and certification are great ways to develop needed skills and set yourself apart from other professionals in your field. Certifications demonstrate expertise and a willingness to be a lifelong learner, which is vital for success in this role. The International Society of Automation (ISA) offers the Certified Automation Professional certificate, which is a third-party validation of skills and expertise in the field. Another ISA option, the Certified Control System Technician certification, has three levels, each of which can affirm your skills and knowledge.

Some states require engineers to hold either certification or licensure to get a job, so it’s important to double-check the requirements of where you want to work to ensure your resume accurately reflects your skills and competitiveness.

Similar careers

Automation engineers share many of the same skill sets as other engineering roles. Explore these related roles with their median base salaries:

• Network engineer: $117,097

• Reliability analyst: $99,335

• Network architect: $142,980

• Telecommunications engineer: $87,339

• Platform architect: $168,815

• Software architect: $161,429

• Test engineer: $102,816

• Quality assurance analyst: $68,374

*All annual base salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of September 2024 and does not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.

Get started with automation engineering

Automation engineering, or creating machines that complete automation tasks, is a career with a high growth demand and a lucrative potential salary. Sharpen your skill set and learn the fundamentals of automation engineering with courses on Coursera. With options such as Google’s IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate and UI Path’s Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Specialization, you’ll learn about the skills needed to begin your automation engineer career.