Are automation engineers in demand?

No, automation engineers are in less demand than in recent years. Despite a slight decrease in demand, the industry does show future growth. The field of automation engineering shows an 8% projected growth between 2021 and 2028. The 2% increase from last year is a decline from previous years. New technology that can now be coded into software has reduced some of the duties of an automation engineer.

How can I start a career in systems administration?

You can start a career in systems administration through proper education. There are multiple areas of study relevant for someone interested in systems administration and several degree levels.

Is automation engineering a good career?

Yes, automation engineering is a good career. Several factors qualify this field as desirable to candidates curious about this career. Nearly 80% of all automation engineers have a bachelor's degree, with only a tiny percentage holding a master's degree or higher. College graduates can therefore begin working in this field immediately following their graduation.

What degree is needed for an automation engineer?

A bachelor's degree is needed for an automation engineer. Automation engineers hold several degrees within the field, but most have a bachelor's degree. Approximately 70% of all automation engineers hold a bachelor's degree. Most candidates seek this degree in computer science or computer engineering. Other significant areas such as electrical and mechanical engineering represent a much smaller percentage of degrees held by automation engineers.

What is an automation engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Brian Glas

An automation engineer designs, develops, and maintains systems that automate processes in manufacturing, production, and assembly lines. They work with software and hardware technologies to create effective systems that increase productivity and reduce costs. Automation engineers design control systems, program PLCs (programmable logic controllers), test equipment, and troubleshoot problems. They also collaborate with engineers and production teams to meet quality standards. Overall, an automation engineer improves the efficiency and reliability of systems in different industries.

What general advice would you give to an Automation Engineer?

Brian Glas

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Union University

Build relationships: Different technologies will interest and challenge you, but throughout your career, you'll find that it's the relationships that are the most important. This is harder to grasp earlier in your career, but much easier to understand after 15-20 years.
Gain different perspectives: Spend time with people in other roles that your job interacts with, and gain a solid understanding of how they view things; this is most valuable for career progression and understanding of how your work fits into the big picture.

ScoreAutomation EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.2

Avg. Salary $92,597

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 13.00%

male 87.00%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.1

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Automation Engineer?

Pros

High job demand and good job security
Good salary and benefits
Ability to work remotely or from home
Collaboration with professionals from different fields
Constantly learning and improving skills

Cons

High level of competition in the industry
Potential for burnout due to repetitive tasks
Limited social interaction as work can be solitary at times
Risk of automation replacing jobs in the future
Limited creativity as most tasks follow standard procedures

Key steps to become an automation engineer

Explore automation engineer education requirements

Most common automation engineer degrees

Bachelor's

69.1 %

Master's

16.1 %

Associate

10.8 %

Start to develop specific automation engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Python	11.77%
Java	7.80%
PLC	5.03%
HMI	4.71%
GIT	3.90%

Complete relevant automation engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New automation engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an automation engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real automation engineer resumes.

Research automation engineer duties and responsibilities

Perform inter-departmental audits documenting ISO compliant results with associate corrective action requests in order to achieve company-wide certification.
Design and develop automation framework settings and implementation of Java, JavaScript.
Develop automation scripts for quality assurance in Perl and ruby.
Develop and maintain an automation tool written in Perl which are used to perform the build verification and regression test.

Prepare your automation engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your automation engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an automation engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Automation Engineer Resume templates

Build a professional Automation Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Automation Engineer resume.

Apply for automation engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an automation engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do automation engineers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

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1 Star

Automation Engineer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Cons

Low pay structure as compared to the efforts put in.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019

Pros

Interaction with colleagues