Instrumentation Engineering courses possess a high demand all over the world. A total of 304 colleges are there in India, offering Instrumentation Engineering courses to the aspiring candidates.
Some top of the Instrumentation Technology colleges are - IIT New Delhi, IIT Bombay, P.S.G. College of Technology, and many more.
To become an instrumentation engineer, one must pursue B.Tech in instrumentation engineering from a good college to hold placement in a reputed industry.
However, it’s optional to pursue M.Tech in instrumentation engineering after B.Tech but M.Tech from a good college such as IITs may offer top campus placements which would provide a handsome salary. The average salary of an instrumentation engineer in India ranges from 3LPA to 11LPA.
An instrumentation engineer is a professional that works in the mechanized industry and his work is to enhance the productivity of the industry by creating a fully-fledged environment for the proper functioning of the equipment and machinery. Apart from this, he is also involved in designing and developing tasks, fitting sensors in the equipment, as well as his job, is to keep an eye on the reliability, optimization, calibration, testing, safety, and stability of the industrial domain.
- How to be an Instrument Engineer: Quick Facts
- What Do Instrumentation Engineers do?
- Steps to Follow to Become an Instrumentation Engineers
- Types Of Instrumentation Engineers
4.2 Instrumentation Technologist
4.3 Technical Sales Representatives
- How to Become an Instrument Engineer in India?
- How to Become an Instrument Engineer After 12th?
- Courses To Become an Instrument Engineer
7.1 B.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
7.1.1 Top Colleges for B.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
7.2 M.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
7.2.1 Top Colleges for M.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
8.1 How to Become an Instrument Engineer in Canada
8.2 How to Become an Instrument Engineer in USA
8.3 How to Become an Instrument Engineer in UK
- Benefits Of Career As An Instrument Engineer
- Skills required for Instrument Engineer
- Salary Of An Instrument Engineer
How to be an Instrument Engineer: Quick Facts
Quick facts related to instrumentation engineer are as follows:
| Industry | Public Sector Companies, MNCs, Automation, Corporate Businesses, Railways & Constructions, Engineering Firms, Consultancies, Pharmaceuticals |
| Eligibility | B.Tech in instrumentation engineering |
| Average starting salary | Rs 180000/- per annum |
| Job opportunities | Instrumentation Technician, Electrical technician, Control instrumentation specialist, Quality control technician, Process technologist |
What Do Instrumentation Engineers do?
The work of an instrumentation engineer ranges from simple tasks such as designing and developments to complex tasks such as maintenance of the machinery and the operating system. Broad detail of the responsibilities of instrumentation engineers are as follows:
- Execute strategic plans for the development and installation of a well-designed new process and modification of the existing software or programs.
- Keep an eye on the proper functioning of the control and display system already in place and implement certain methodologies for the maintenance of the systems.
- Know the reasons behind the malfunctioning of the machine equipment and deal with the particular issue efficiently to restore the equipment to its previous condition.
- Evaluate the data and write its detailed description in the presentation report.
- Cost and time-effective project management in a constrained environment.
- Their work is to cooperate and collaborate with the clients, contractors, suppliers, relevant authorities, internal staff, and other engineers of the industry.
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They also develop new business proposals for effective collaboration with reputed clients and authorities.
Steps to Follow to Become an Instrumentation Engineers
There are some simple as well as effective measures that need to be implemented to excel in the field of instrumentation engineering:
Decision making
If you find the engineering and technology field fascinating, then the personal and professional suitability of instrumentation engineering as a career option must be taken into consideration. Since engineering is a vast domain divided into several streams, therefore it is a bit confusing to decide whether the work of an instrumentation engineer will suit you or not. One of the major positive sides of this field is that you get an opportunity to control and explore automation and machinery which are a vital part of the modern era and without which the development of the nation in the field of digitalization is impossible.
Subject Choices
Gaining an academic degree is a must for every candidate, as a minimum qualification needed to be an Instrumentation Engineer is gaining a bachelor's degree. Certainly, the instrumentation degree of Engineering is gaining more popularity, compared to the other specializations.
The basic criteria for pursuing Instrumentation Engineering courses in the undergraduate level is having pure science stream on your 12th standards. Also candidates must score a minimum of 50% aggregate to be eligible to apply.
Hence making the correct subject choices, is very necessary to excel in the path of an Engineering course. Research on what are the courses you can pursue for this, and also examine yourself on what you have your interest, select the course, and start your journey.
Entrance Exam Preparation
Candidates should start their preparation for JEE Mains after passing the 10th class and must acquire a basic idea about the syllabus and weightage of the topics in the exam. For this, students may take the assistance of leading coaching institutes such as FIITJEE, Resonance, Allen, Aakash, etc which would provide proper guidance and a competitive environment as well.
Scoring well in the entrance exam is necessary, and hence candidates should prepare themselves well for the channel to pursue their respective college, that they want to get admission. Try to solve the entrance exams previous year’s questions, or some sample papers if available. It will help you to understand the pattern of the paper, and what type of questions may come.
How to choose a good college
Though your career mostly depends on your personal skills, and working experience, having a tag of a renowned and quality college also matters to a great extent. If you are to take expert’s suggestions, they say that choosing a good government college is the best, as they are of less complexities, bear low fees, and have good facilities of labs. Check the below points to get admission to a good college.
- Research for various colleges for that specific course which you want to pursue, i.e. Instrumentation Engineering courses. Check their rankings, fee structure, and what are the reviews given by students. Also look for how good the placement facility is, as it will help you to access a job in a renowned company faster.
- Note down the documents you need at the time of the admission, and prepare them as it may be necessary for you soon.
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Also look for how good the faculty of the college is, and go through the faculty reviews if available. A good faculty matters the most in the run of making a course of that specific college great.
Post qualifying the exam
- Colleges will allocate the students on the basis of their marks they got in the qualifying examinations. Some colleges pick candidates based on their marks on their previous exams, hence entrance exams will not be relevant there. After getting admission, the journey of candidates on the way to become an instrument engineer will start.
- As per the guidelines of the educational institutes, candidates have to score more than the cut off marks, set by the authority, to get to the next level of the admission process.
- Final selection of the candidates will follow their performance in the interview phase, and also their efficiency in group discussion.
- It is recommended to pursue a college, which has internship facilities, and take part in them. Internships will help you to gain skills and working experience in that specific specialization you pursue, and will eventually help you to find jobs comparatively easier than before.
Types Of Instrumentation Engineers
There are different types of Instrumentation Engineers position in India and abroad, here we have described the following,
Instrument Designer
- As the name suggests, their role is to design instruments that could detect, analyze and record important data.
- The instruments designed by professional instrument designers work very effectively in the field of research and technology.
- Creation of prototypes, troubleshooting, installation, testing are some of the work done by instrument designers.
| Profession | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Instrument Designer | 15 LPA |
Instrumentation Technologist
- These instrumentation engineers work specifically in the basic development and designing of a new process.
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Their main job is to keep an eye on the proper functioning of the existing equipment in the operating and display system.
| Profession | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Instrumentation Technologist | 3 LPA |
Technical Sales Representatives
- Fresh graduates are involved in this field.
- Their job is to interact with the customers and solve their technical issues.
- They also update their clients with the advancement in technologies and compile business proposals for the sale of any new product.
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These tasks help them to gain work experience and be tech-savvy.
| Profession | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Technical Sales Representatives | 4.8 LPA |
Automation Engineers
- These instrumentation engineers are mostly involved in system engineering.
- Their work is to develop efficient machinery according to the latest technologies.
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They also monitor the functioning of the existing machinery and in case of any malfunction, they immediately take steps to solve the issue.
| Profession | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Automation Engineers | 5.2 LPA |
Commissioning Technician
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The role of a commissioning technician is the overhaul, repair, and assembly, troubleshooting, and testing turbomachinery products incorporating mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems.
| Profession | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Commissioning Technician | 1 LPA |
How to Become an Instrument Engineer in India?
To become an instrumentation engineer, one must hold a B.Tech degree in the field of instrumentation engineering. If you have pursued B.Tech from IITs or top NITs, then it becomes pretty much feasible to get a placement in a High Profile Company as an instrumentation engineer. But if one is not satisfied by his/her stipend, he/she could prepare for the GATE examination through which they can pursue M.Tech in instrumentation engineering and get placed in reputed companies which offer handsome salaries.
School-level preparation
Students must complete their 10+2 standards exams, with at least 50% aggregate marks from a recognised institute. Candidates must initiate their basic theory sense in this, as the major skills related to this course will be learned by the candidates in the UG level.
Students must prepare for the entrance exams for Instrument Engineering courses from class 11 itself. Many educational institutes offer this learning for aspiring candidates. Some of the most common entrances which are conducted for candidates coming from their 12th standards are JEE Mains and JEE Advanced. It is recommended to buy books regarding this exams, if available, solve test papers, and take the help of any senior who came from this condition recently.
How to Become an Instrument Engineer After 12th?
First of all, to become an instrumentation engineer, one must opt for physics, chemistry, and mathematics as mandatory subjects at 10+2 level.
UG Preparation
- Students appearing for the 12th board examinations must apply for JEE Mains and other state-level engineering entrance examinations.
- After qualifying JEE Mains, candidates are asked to appear for JEE advanced which is one of the toughest exams in India.
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Shortlisted candidates are called for counseling after which they are allotted IITs, NITs, and other engineering colleges as per their performance in entrance examinations.
PG Preparation
- After completing B.Tech, candidates may apply for entrance exams such as GATE, TANCET, IPU-CET to pursue M.Tech in the relevant stream.
- Post qualifying the examination, candidates must submit the pre-requisite documents after excelling in various stages of counseling.
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Selected candidates must pay the required fees prior to admission to get successfully enrolled in the M.Tech program.
Courses To Become an Instrument Engineer
There are many courses to become an Instrument Engineer in India, here are the courses that they can pursue,
B.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
B.Tech is a 4-year undergraduate program spread over 8 semesters intended to equip the students with the required knowledge and practical training of the principle and operation of measuring instruments.
Admission Process
- Admission in B.Tech takes place through JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, and other state-level engineering entrance examinations.
- After qualifying the examination, candidates are shortlisted based on their marks & rank and called for counseling purposes.
- Candidates are allotted colleges based on their rank and preference list of the institute after which the required fee must be paid for successful admission.
- Candidates must qualify JEE Mains to appear for JEE Advanced. NITs are allotted based on the marks obtained in JEE Mains or JEE Advanced examinations. However, to get admission in IITs, candidates must qualify the JEE Advanced examination.
Entrance Examinations
| Exam Name | JEE Mains |
| Application Date | February 14, 2023 – march 12, 2023 |
| Admit Card Release Date | March 2023 |
| Date of Exam | April 6, 2023 – April 12, 2023 |
| Date of Result | May – June 2023 |
| Exam Name | JEE Advanced |
| Application Date | April 30, 2023 – May 5, 2023 |
| Admit Card Release Date | May 29, 2023 – June 4, 2023 |
| Date of Exam | June 4, 2023 |
| Date of Result | June 18, 2023 |
Eligibility Criteria
- Aspirants seeking admission to Instrument Engineering courses, need to obtain at least 65% aggregate marks in their 10+2 exams.
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Also, it is necessary for the students to have pure science subjects, i.e. Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as mandatory disciplines in their 10+2.
Top Colleges for B.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
Some of the top colleges in India that offer B.Tech in instrumentation engineering along with their fees are tabulated below:
| College | Fees |
|---|---|
| National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli | 6L INR |
| PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore | 3.48 L INR |
| Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Delhi | 6L INR |
| Thapar University, Patiala | 8.68 L INR |
| Dr. BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar | 6L INR |
| Manipal Institute of Technology, Udupi | 17.6L INR |
M.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
M.Tech is a 2-year postgraduate program that trains the students in designing, construction, and maintenance of the entire instrumentation systems of any industrial undertaking.
Admission Process
- Candidates must check the availability of the application form to get admission to the M.Tech course.
- After successful online registration, applicants must upload the required documents and pay the fee for a successful application.
- Post qualifying in the entrance examination, candidates are shortlisted on the basis of their scores & rank and are called for counseling purposes.
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The counseling process is followed by the payment of the prescribed fees for successful enrollment in the M.Tech course.
Eligibility Criteria
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Candidates must have completed a B.Tech degree in the relevant stream with a minimum aggregate of 60%.
Top Colleges for M.Tech in Instrumentation Engineering
Some of the top colleges in India that offer M.Tech in instrumentation engineering along with their fees are tabulated below:
| College | Fees |
|---|---|
| IIT Madras | 4.24L INR |
| IIT Delhi | 1.58L INR |
| IIT Kharagpur | 4.64L INR |
| IIT Roorkee | 0.61L INR |
| IIT Guwahati | 4.4L INR |
| NIT Warangal | 2.4L INR |
| BITS Pilani | 8.47L INR |
| Amity University, Noida | 3.8L INR |
How to Become an Instrument Engineer Abroad?
The chance of getting a job as an instrumentation engineer abroad is quite low because foreign companies already indulge themselves in employing the fresh graduates of their nation.
Therefore, to become an instrumentation engineer abroad, one should gain a lot of work experience, acquire ample skills and broaden their knowledge horizon in the field of automation and machinery.
For this, you should join any Indian company where you will learn to work according to the industrial demands and try to interact with new people and cooperate with them to develop new technologies.
Become a professional in your domain and gain experience and a hell lot of confidence before applying for instrumentation engineering jobs abroad. Refer to the following URLs to check out the vacancies for instrumentation engineer abroad:
Some of the top colleges abroad which provide instrumentation degrees are tabulated below:
How to Become an Instrument Engineer in Canada
There are various renowned colleges in Canada, offering Instrumentation Engineering courses. Check out the best colleges among them below.
Admission Requirements
- Candidates must apply for the entrance exams, and must be eligible to sit for it, by coming through 10th and 12th standards exams. 60% aggregate is necessary at the 12th standards.
- Science background is necessary for candidates at the 12th standards,like Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology, and Computer Science.
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Also candidates need to necessarily give their proof of English Language proficiency (MELAB, IELTS, TOEFL).
Other Requirements
- Statement of Purpose.
- Letter of recommendation.
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Academic Documents including class 10 and 12 marksheet.
| College | Course | Duration | Exams Accepted | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern College, Canada | Diploma in Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technician | 2 Years | IELTS, TOEFL | 15L INR |
| Fleming College, Canada | Diploma in Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technician | 2 Years | IELTS, TOEFL | 19L INR |
| British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Canada | Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology - Automation and Instrumentation | 2 Years | IELTS, TOEFL, PTE | 22L INR |
How to Become an Instrument Engineer in USA?
The United States is renowned for its engineering courses, and Instrumentation Engineering is well developed there too. Check out some of the best colleges below.
Admission Requirements
- 12th grade certificates are necessary.
- Valid scores of the entrance exams.
- Also candidates need to necessarily give their proof of English Language proficiency (MELAB, IELTS, TOEFL).
Other Requirements
- Statement of purpose to study in the USA.
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Valid passport along with an F-1 US study visa.
| College | Course | Duration | Exams Accepted | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University (Kaplan International), USA | Master of Science in Information System Management (MS-ISM) | 1 year | IELTS, GRE | 41.7L INR |
| Utah State University, USA | Master of Science in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences | 1 year | - | 15L INR |
| University of Maryland, USA | Master in System Engineering | 2 Years | IELTS, GRE | 15L INR |
How to Become an Instrument Engineer in UK?
There are numerous colleges in the United Kingdom, offering Instrumentation Engineering courses. Check out in the tabulation form below.
Admission Requirements
- Candidates must apply at the college website, in that specific college they want to pursue.
- They also have to show their valid entrance scores, along with there will be a document verification phase.
- The organization will allot seats for the candidates based on their cutoff rank.
| College | Course | Duration | Exams Accepted | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Adams University | Masters in Applied Mechatronic Engineering | 1 year | IELTS, PTE |
11L INR |
| University of Sunderland | Masters in Instrumentation Engineering | 1 year | IELTS | |
| University of Greenwich | Masters in Instrumentation Electronics Engineering | 1 year | IELTS | 12L INR |
Benefits Of Career As An Instrument Engineer
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of instrumentation engineering, the scope of the job is diverse in the electrical, mechanical, and electronics sector. Some of the merits of the career as an instrumentation engineer are as follows:
Salary
The salary of an instrumentation engineer depends on his work experience as well as the level of the recruiting company. MNCs and centrally funded organizations offer better salaries in comparison to other private sector companies. The average starting stipend of an instrumentation engineer is 2 LPA/- while the highest salary of an experienced instrumentation engineer is 9 LPA/-.
Job Security
Due to the wide range of career opportunities in the field of automation, manufacture, telecommunication, and petrochemical industries, instrumentation engineering has very high job security for those who are proficient in technical background.
Positive impacts of the career
Since automation is one of the latest trends in recent technologies, instrumentation engineering provides a chance for young innovative minds to fetch advancements in the industries. Instrumentation engineers may also broaden their career horizons in any specific field as per their interests.
Unique experience
A career in instrumentation engineering provides you an opportunity to expand your knowledge in a mixed stream of electrical, mechanical, electronics, chemical, and computer engineering. Instrumentation engineering is a combination of other sorts of engineering which makes you an all-rounder in the field of technology.
Skills Required for Instrument Engineer
Some of the major skills required to become an instrumentation engineer are:
| Troubleshooting skills | Creative problem solving | Teamwork |
| 444rFlexibility | Compromising ability | Leadership qualities |
| Willingness to accept the tasks | Decision making | Critical thinking |
| Customer care skills | Commercial awareness | High numeracy level |
| Tech-savvy | Analytical skills | Calibration skills |
Salary Of An Instrument Engineer
The salary of an instrumentation engineer ranges from 1LPA - 2LPA at the beginner level to 15 LPA-35 LPA at an advanced level in both the public and private sectors. The average salary of an instrumentation engineer in India is 5LPA.
Average annual salary
| Name of organization | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Government | 15 LPA-50 LPA |
| Private | 1.5LPA-12 LPA |
Specialization wise salary
| Specialization | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Automation Engineer | 6LPA |
| Instrument Technician | 3.5LPA |
| Instrument and Control Technician | 4.5LPA |
| Calibration Technician | 3.25LPA |
| Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer | 5LPA |
| Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 4LPA |
Experience wise salary
| Experience | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Fresher | 1LPA-5LPA |
| Experienced | 10 LPA-30 LPA |
How to Become an Instrument Engineer FAQs
Ques. Which top institutes offer instrumentation engineering programs in India?
Ans. Some of the top institutes which offer instrumentation engineering programs are IIT (Delhi, Roorkee, Kharagpur, and Kanpur), BITS Pilani, IISc, LPU, Amity University, Galgotias University, etc.
Ques. Which degrees are required to become an instrumentation engineer?
Ans. After passing 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, candidates may opt for one of the following choices to become an instrumentation engineer:
UG(B.Tech) OR UG(B.Tech)+PG(M.Tech) OR B.Tech+M.Tech dual integrated course
Ques. What are some cons of becoming an instrumentation engineer?
Ans. Some cons of becoming an instrumentation engineer are:
- Work with potentially dangerous equipment.
- Fix big malfunctioning issues in a limited time frame.
- Follow a hectic schedule and work irregular hours with extended periods.
Ques. Which are some top recruiting companies for an Instrumentation Engineer?
Ans. Some of the leading recruiting companies for instrumentation engineers are:
| HCL | TCS | BHEL |
| GAIL | NTPC | EIL |
| Larsen & Toubro | ABB | Siemens |
| Texas Instruments | Bechtel | Foster Wheeler |
| Fluor Daniel | ONGC | SAIL |
Ques. Does ISRO hire instrumentation engineers?
Ans. Yes, ISRO hires instrumentation engineers but the job opening is very limited in comparison to vacancies for computer science engineers, structural engineers, electrical & electronics/electrical & communication engineers.
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