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What is a process & automation engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Ana Wooley Ph.D.

Process and automation engineers work in industries such as car manufacturing or food processing plants to create automated systems. You will be responsible for collaborating with corporate and departmental leadership. Thanks to these cooperations, you will determine automated capabilities and secure future opportunities for the company.

As an automation engineer, you are responsible for creating a detailed road map to guide automated projects. You will also be required to lead collaborative discussions between leadership and key stockholders for the success and goal of an automated project. You must be technology-oriented for an effective workflow, design specification, and other detailed documents.

Basic skills expected of any process and automation engineers are superb communication and organization skills and a strong ability with software testing and validation. The average yearly salary of a process and automation engineer is $89,000. That aside, the minimum educational qualification is a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and other related fields.

What general advice would you give to a process & automation engineer?

Ana Wooley Ph.D.Ana Wooley Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, University of Alabama at Huntsville

People skills for sure. Industrial engineers collaborate and interact with so many other areas. The biggest trait you could have is to be able to effectively communicate and interact with peers.
ScoreProcess & Automation EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.9

Avg. Salary $87,723

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 13.35%

Black or African American 4.50%

Hispanic or Latino 11.06%

Unknown 3.92%

White 67.00%

Gender

female 12.68%

male 87.32%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Process & automation engineer career paths

Key steps to become a process & automation engineer

  1. Explore process & automation engineer education requirements

    Most common process & automation engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    77.8 %

    Master's

    11.9 %

    Associate

    6.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific process & automation engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    PLC6.91%
    Project Management6.17%
    C++6.08%
    Continuous Improvement5.71%
    Automation Systems5.19%
  3. Complete relevant process & automation engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New process & 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 a process & automation engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real process & automation engineer resumes.
  4. Research process & automation engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead and work with engineers to install, maintain and troubleshoot control systems and various automation processes.
    • Manage RF servers and performing network troubleshooting and preventative maintenance on network elements.
    • Replace the existing oiler I/O panel with corresponding GE I/O panel.
    • Drive communication are done between Allen-Bradley drives and Siemens control system using Anybus gateway modules.
  5. Prepare your process & automation engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your process & 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 a process & 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 process & automation engineer resume templates

    Build a professional process & 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 process & automation engineer resume.
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
    Process & Automation Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for process & automation engineer jobs

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

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

How did you land your first process & automation engineer job

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Average process & automation engineer salary

The average process & automation engineer salary in the United States is $87,723 per year or $42 per hour. Process & automation engineer salaries range between $69,000 and $110,000 per year.

Average process & automation engineer salary
$87,723 Yearly
$42.17 hourly

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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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