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Instrumentation operations engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an instrumentation operations engineer. Instrumentation operations engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or management. 86% of instrumentation operations engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 22 real instrumentation operations engineer resumes to see exactly what instrumentation operations engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for instrumentation operations engineers are the University of Washington and the University of Washington.

There are also many online instrumentation operations engineer courses to help get the education required to be an instrumentation operations engineer.

What education do you need to become an instrumentation operations engineer?

What degree do you need to be an instrumentation operations engineer?

  • Bachelor's, 86%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an instrumentation operations engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become an instrumentation operations engineer. 32% of instrumentation operations engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for an instrumentation operations engineer include mechanical engineering and management.

Most common colleges for instrumentation operations engineers

Instrumentation operations engineers often get their degrees at University of Washington, Ball State University, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Here are the most common colleges for instrumentation operations engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Instrumentation operations engineer common collegePercentages
University of Washington10.00%
Ball State University10.00%
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville10.00%
University of Cincinnati10.00%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey10.00%

Best majors for instrumentation operations engineers

RankMajorPercentages
1Electrical Engineering31.6%
2Mechanical Engineering15.8%
3Management10.5%
4Business5.3%
5Geology5.3%

Best colleges for instrumentation operations engineers

The best colleges for instrumentation operations engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

An instrumentation operations engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for instrumentation operations engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become instrumentation operations engineers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for instrumentation operations engineers

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Introduction to flight training, Aircraft Structure, Systems and Flight Instruments...

8. Electrical Control & Protection Systems

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Top 10 most affordable universities for instrumentation operations engineers

The most affordable schools for instrumentation operations engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for instrumentation operations engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for instrumentation operations engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instrumentation operations engineers

The hardest universities for instrumentation operations engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for instrumentation operations engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for instrumentation operations engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instrumentation operations engineers

The easiest schools for instrumentation operations engineers to get into are The University of Texas Permian Basin, wayland baptist university, and oregon institute of technology.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instrumentation operations engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for instrumentation operations engineers.

1. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

4. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

8. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average instrumentation operations engineer salary by education level

Instrumentation operations engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $75,099 annually. With a Master's degree, instrumentation operations engineers earn a median annual income of $69,176 compared to $59,857 for instrumentation operations engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
Instrumentation operations engineer education levelInstrumentation operations engineer salary
Master's Degree$69,176
Bachelor's Degree$59,857
Doctorate Degree$75,099

Instrumentation operations engineer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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