What does an instrumentation engineer do?

An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Instrumentation engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real instrumentation engineer resumes:
- Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
- Develop control systems using advance controllers like PLC and DCS to improve efficiency of the system, productivity and optimize operations.
- Perform troubleshooting on HMI's.
- Complete monthly safety training and adhere to all OSHA mandate regulations.
- Generate and update wiring on wiring module of SPI and prepares panel strip reports.
- Determine and prepare all system configurations, selection of suitable devices and prepare I/O summary.
- Provide instrument drawing, cabling, data sheets, I/O wiring diagram, schematics and specifications.
- Used HMI's to interact with plants, including startups and shutdowns as well as making process adjustments.
- Project engineering responsible for survey of plant wiring system to be used for changing to a new DCS system.
- Implement alarm management project and begin to work on field solutions to improve instrumentation, reducing alarming in the DCS.
- Recognize the related industrial standards and protocols such as IEC, ISA, ASTM, and the applications of these equipment.
- Debug and optimize network performance on TCP/IP Ethernet base control systems to maximize reliability and uptime ensuring a fully redundant system.
- Develop skills concerning medium voltage switchgear, breaker control, and protective relaying including the GE Multilin 745 and Entervista software.
- Develop control system architecture and select PLC hardware.
- Design mechanical and optical test methods and protocols using Labview.
Instrumentation engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Instrumentation Engineers are proficient in PLC, Autocad, and Analyzers. They’re also known for soft skills such as Concentration, Initiative, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Instrumentation Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- PLC, 8%
Developed control system architecture and selected PLC hardware.
- Autocad, 6%
Generated instrumentation diagrams for ground test engineering stands using AutoCAD.
- Analyzers, 5%
Maintain clinical analyzers for manufacturing * Schedule and perform preventative maintenance on over 20 instruments.
- Troubleshoot, 4%
Supported troubleshoot activities in coordination with the inter-department personnel; i.e.
- Instrumentation Systems, 4%
Designed custom instrumentation systems used in Plasma Spectroscopy of argon and hydrogen gases in the Plasma Physics Laboratory.
- CAD, 4%
Managed electrical design team, consisting of designers and CAD personnel, provided electrical engineering design and start up support.
Common skills that an instrumentation engineer uses to do their job include "plc," "autocad," and "analyzers." You can find details on the most important instrumentation engineer responsibilities below.
Concentration. The most essential soft skill for an instrumentation engineer to carry out their responsibilities is concentration. This skill is important for the role because "electrical and electronics engineers design and develop complex electrical systems and electronic components and products." Additionally, an instrumentation engineer resume shows how their duties depend on concentration: "performed all dcs point configuration and graphics building for the fccu and gas concentration units. "
Initiative. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling instrumentation engineer duties is initiative. The role rewards competence in this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers must apply their knowledge to new tasks in every project they undertake." According to an instrumentation engineer resume, here's how instrumentation engineers can utilize initiative in their job responsibilities: "develop cost reduction strategies through innovation in system designs and engineering, applying value engineering, constructability and task analysis initiatives. "
Speaking skills. This is an important skill for instrumentation engineers to perform their duties. For an example of how instrumentation engineer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an instrumentation engineer: "utilized public speaking and cad software to complete presentations on specific refinery electric circuits. ".
Writing skills. A big part of what instrumentation engineers do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to instrumentation engineer responsibilities because "electrical and electronics engineers develop technical publications related to equipment they develop, including maintenance manuals, operation manuals, parts lists, product proposals, and design methods documents." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical instrumentation engineer tasks: "design control systems electrical drafting writing plc and hmi programs oversee shop testing assisting site commissioning service calls"
Math skills. Another crucial skill for an instrumentation engineer to carry out their responsibilities is "math skills." A big part of what instrumentation engineers relies on this skill, since "electrical and electronics engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced math in order to analyze, design, and troubleshoot equipment." How this skill relates to instrumentation engineer duties can be seen in an example from an instrumentation engineer resume snippet: "mentored and trained engineers in control system design, mathematical system modeling, and embedded programming. "
The three companies that hire the most instrumentation engineers are:
- Hargrove Engineers + Constructors54 instrumentation engineers jobs
- Church & Dwight Co.14 instrumentation engineers jobs
- Hazen and Sawyer7 instrumentation engineers jobs
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Instrumentation engineer vs. Facility engineer
A facilities engineer specializes in managing and maintaining equipment and machinery in manufacturing plants or similar settings. Duties will revolve around conducting research and analysis through extensive data and blueprints, evaluating systems using various reports, handling issues, providing corrective measures, and performing regular inspections and maintenance. Furthermore, it is essential to implement all safety standards and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment for everyone.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an instrumentation engineer are more likely to require skills like "analyzers," "troubleshoot," "instrumentation systems," and "control valves." On the other hand, a job as a facility engineer requires skills like "plumbing," "ladders," "boilers," and "customer service." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Facility engineers tend to make the most money working in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $109,339. In contrast, instrumentation engineers make the biggest average salary, $80,269, in the government industry.facility engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than instrumentation engineers. In fact, facility engineers are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Instrumentation engineer vs. Research and development engineer
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, instrumentation engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "autocad," "analyzers," "troubleshoot," and "instrumentation systems." Meanwhile, a research and development engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "python," "c #," "solidworks," and "data analysis." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Research and development engineers may earn a higher salary than instrumentation engineers, but research and development engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $107,654. On the other hand, instrumentation engineers receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $80,269.In general, research and development engineers achieve higher levels of education than instrumentation engineers. They're 9.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Instrumentation engineer vs. Engineer
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from instrumentation engineer resumes include skills like "autocad," "analyzers," "instrumentation systems," and "control valves," whereas an engineer is more likely to list skills in "python," "cloud," "c++," and "c #. "
Engineers make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $97,672. On the other hand, instrumentation engineers are paid the highest salary in the government industry, with average annual pay of $80,269.When it comes to education, engineers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to instrumentation engineers. In fact, they're 3.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Instrumentation engineer vs. Project engineer
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between instrumentation engineers and project engineers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an instrumentation engineer might have more use for skills like "analyzers," "troubleshoot," "instrumentation systems," and "control valves." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of project engineers require skills like "construction management," "ul," "engineering design," and "project scope. "
The energy industry tends to pay the highest salaries for project engineers, with average annual pay of $85,761. Comparatively, the highest instrumentation engineer annual salary comes from the government industry.project engineers reach similar levels of education compared to instrumentation engineers, in general. The difference is that they're 3.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of instrumentation engineer
Updated January 8, 2025











