Instrumentation engineers conduct research, design, and development of new systems and devices for controlling, monitoring, and regulating industrial processes and operations. These engineers typically work in industries with automated processes, such as manufacturing or chemical plants, to improve system productivity, reliability, safety, optimization, and stability. The role of an instrumentation engineer is multidisciplinary because it necessitates a thorough understanding of an organization's operational processes.
In order to become an Instrumentation Engineer one must pursue various Undergraduate and Postgraduate Instrument Engineering courses. There are several top Instrument Engineering Colleges across the country that students can choose to pursue their desired courses.
An instrumentation engineer's responsibilities include managing operations, designing and developing new control systems, analysing data and presenting findings in written reports, testing, maintaining, and modifying existing systems, purchasing equipment, and working with design engineers, operations engineers, buyers, and other internal staff.
Table of Contents
- How to Become an Instrumentation Engineer
- What Does an Instrumentation Engineer Do
- Types of Instrumentation Engineers
3.1 Control and Instrumentation Engineers
4.1 Salary of Instrumentation Engineers in Delhi
4.2 Salary of Instrumentation Engineers in Bangalore
4.3 Salary of Instrumentation Engineers in Mumbai
4.4 Salary of Instrumentation Engineers in Kolkata
5.2 Experience Wise
How to Become an Instrumentation Engineer
In order to become an Instrumentation Engineer one should follow the steps as listed below,
- The students who wish to become Instrumentation Engineer should make up their mind right after 10+2. They should be very passionate about the manufacturing industry and Instrumentations, Drawings etc.
- The candidate should have taken up Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in their 10+2 and should have qualified with at least 50% marks.
- The admissions to an BE or BTech Instrumentation Engineering is done based on entrance exams like JEE, BITSAT, CET etc.
- The candidates who are pursuing ME/MTech should have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline and should have also qualified the entrance exams like GATE, PGCET etc.
What Does an Instrumentation Engineer Do?
Instrumentation engineers operate in sectors that rely on automated processes to increase production, safety, optimization, and stability.
Some of the responsibilities of an Instrumentation Engineer are:
- Existing system testing, maintenance, and modification, data analysis, and written report presentationManaging operations collaborating with design engineers, operation engineers, purchasers, and other internal staff liaising with clients, suppliers, contractors, and relevant authorities e.g. the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
- Project management within cost and time constraints understanding and ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety regulations
- Providing Quality standards advice and consultancy support purchasing equipment.
Types of Instrumentation Engineers
Some of the major classifications of Instrumentation Engineers are mentioned below for your reference,
Control and Instrumentation Engineer
Control and instrumentation engineers make sure that industrial machinery and equipment runs smoothly and safely. They could work in an office, a laboratory, or on the factory floor, or any combination of these three settings.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Preparing and negotiating project budgets, timelines, and specifications with clients and managers
- Conducting relevant research
- Creating and putting designs into action
- Developing test procedures
- • Product and instrument testing, assessment, modification, and calibration
- Report and documentation writing
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Working as part of a team of scientists and engineers
- Providing technical assistance
Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical engineers can design components and equipment for a wide range of industries, including healthcare, power, transportation, and water.
Job responsibilities differ greatly depending on the size and type of employer. However, typical responsibilities include the following:Evaluating project requirements
- Performance evaluation of mechanical components, devices, and engines
- Collaborating with clients and managers to agree on budgets, timelines, and specifications
- Maintaining and modifying equipment to ensure its safety, dependability, and efficiency using computer-aided design/modeling
- Software liaising with suppliers conducting relevant research producing and implementing designs and test procedures
Control Engineers
Control engineering, also known as control systems engineering, is an engineering discipline that deals with control systems, designing equipment and systems with desired behaviours in control environments by applying control theory.
The responsibilities are:
- Troubleshoots process and hardware issues
- Preventive maintenance is planned.
- Coordinates with others to identify problems and implement solutions.
- Provides technical assistance to internal customers as needed.
- Manages vendor relationships
- Performance metrics are defined.
Electrical Engineers
Electrical engineers design electrical products and systems using the principles of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. They conduct risk assessments and ensure that electrical engineering codes and safety standards are followed. They also conduct research in order to develop new applications.
The duties are as follows:
- Creating and enhancing electrical products and systems
- Creating manufacturing processes
- Evaluating the safety, dependability, and performance of systems
- Creating specifications for electrical equipment and materials purchases.
- Supervising or training members of the project team.
- Estimating material, labour, or construction costs in order to prepare a budget.
- Maintaining electrical equivalence
Instrumentation Engineers Salary in India
In India, the national average salary for an Instrumentation Engineer is 5,65,187 per year. We will now see the salary of Instrumentation Engineers in different cities of India.
Instrumentation Engineers Salary in Delhi
In New Delhi, the average monthly salary for an Instrumentation Engineer is INR 57,430 per month. Let us look at some of the jobs available and the salary offered.
Recruiter | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
Honeywell | INR 20 – 21 LPA |
Trident Group | INR 6-7 LPA |
GE | INR 13-14 LPA |
Petrofac | INR6-7 LPA |
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy | INR 3-4 LPA |
Instrumentation Engineers Salary in Bangalore
In Bangalore, the average monthly salary for an Instrumentation Engineer is INR 65,096 per month. Let us look at some of the jobs available and the salary offered.
Recruiter | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
Biocon | INR 3-6 LPA |
TCS | INR 5 LPA |
RIL | INR 9 LPA |
ABB | INR 10 LPA |
Shell | INR 6-7 LPA |
Instrumentation Engineers Salary in Mumbai
In Mumbai, the average monthly salary for an Instrumentation Engineer is INR 50,128 per month. Let us look at some of the jobs available and the salary offered.
Recruiter | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
RIL | INR 7.5 LPA |
Petrofac | INR 6-7 LPA |
Aker Solutions | INR 6-10 LPA |
Toyo Engineering | INR 7-11 LPA |
Keppel Offshore and Marine | INR 3-7 LPA |
Instrumentation Engineers Salary in Kolkata
In Kolkata, the average monthly salary for an Instrumentation Engineer is INR 36,505 per month. Let us look at some of the jobs available and the salary offered.
Recruiter | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
Genius Consultants | INR 4-5 LPA |
Thermax | INR 6 LPA |
Mott MacDonald | INR 10-11 LPA |
Alstom Power | INR 10-11 LPA |
Bengal Beverages | INR 4-5 LPA |
Average Salary of Instrumentation Engineers in India
In India, the national average salary for an Instrumentation Engineer is 5,65,187 per year. The top companies recruiting Instrumentation Engineers are 2Cosmos, RIL, ABB, Shell, GMR Yokogawa , Ebara , Siemens and Rockwell Honeywell automation etc.
Organization Wise
The average annual salary of instrumentation engineers based on the organization is given in the table below.
Organization | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
Reliance Industries Limited | INR 7.29 Lakhs |
Yokogawa Group | INR 7.5 Lakhs |
Vedanta Resources | INR 6.18 Lakhs |
Cairn Energy India | INR 8.29 Lakhs |
Worley | INR 8 Lakhs |
Saint Meinrad Archabbey | INR 4.46 Lakhs |
Honeywell | INR 3 – 21 Lakhs |
Bharat Petroleum | INR 2-4 Lakhs |
Biocon | INR 3-6 Lakhs |
Petrofac | INR 6-7 Lakhs |
Experience Wise
The average annual salary of instrumentation engineers based on their experience is given below.
Experience | Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
Fresher | INR 2 -4 lakhs |
3 – 8 years | INR 8 Lakhs |
10+ years | INR 21 Lakhs |
Skills Required to Become an Instrumentation Engineer
Some of the key skills that are essential to become an Instrumentation Engineer are tabulated below for your reference,
Problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities that are innovative | Excellent critical thinking abilities as well as a high level of numeracy | Good interpersonal and communication skills |
Adaptability and the ability to compromise | A willingness to take charge and make decisions | Excellent customer service abilities and commercial awareness |
Instrumentation Engineers Top Recruiting Companies
Some of the top Instrumentation Engineering recruiting companies are tabulated below for your reference,
Reliance Industries Limited | Honeywell | Yokogawa Group |
Biocon | Petrofac | Bharat Petroleum |
Indian Oil | ABB | Shell |
Salary of Instrumentation Engineers in India: FAQs
Ques. What is instrumentation engineering?
Ans. Control and instrumentation Engineering is a broad subject. It is primarily concerned with automation, field instruments, and final control elements that measure and control a variety of physical parameters. Its applications are numerous, including bio-medical, chemical, oil & gas, power, and many others.
Ques. Is it worth doing instrumentation engineering?
Ans. Certainly yes, if you are interested in things like Electronics circuits, Machines, Management, Electricity. The course is an amalgamation of various core branches like mechanical, civil, electrical and electronics.
Ques. What is the scope for Instrumentation engineering?
Ans. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and most tasks are now automated. That's where instrumentation engineers come in; they understand the art and science of measuring and controlling process variables in a manufacturing or production environment. We're basically placed in industries where heat, pressure, fluidity, and so on play a role, and as I mentioned, technological advancement has created a lot of job opportunities for engineers all over the world in various MNCs, so technically there's a lot of scope for instrumentation engineers.
Ques. Which job is suitable for an instrumentation engineer?
Ans. Instrumentation engineering has a diverse career worldwide. If you are a graduate instrumentation engineer, you may select any of the profiles listed below.
- Lectures in universities
- Engineering for oil and gas (Project,Maintenance,Sales & Marketing,Service etc.,)
- Instruments for biomedicine (R&D, Installation and service, Sales & Marketing etc.,)
- Chromatography (gas) (R&D, Installation and service, Sales & Marketing etc.,)
- Space exploration (R&D, Installation etc.,)
- Programming for engineers (PLC, DCS, controllers with MATLAB, microprocessor, VB etc.,)
Ques. What is the role of an instrumentation engineer in an industry?
Ans. Any industry sector requires instrumentation as a basic requirement. The concept note, also known as the design description document in instrumentation, is prepared by the design engineer. Technical Bid Analysis and Request for Proposal are also available. The Instrumentation Engineer is in charge of creating datasheets for instruments that will be used throughout construction. P&ID diagrams are also meticulously prepared by Design Engineers, and once finalized with the client, they are documented. They continue to revise the P&ID until it meets the specifications.
Ques. What is the future of instrumentation and control engineering in India?
Ans. The future is determined by how well one prepares for it. Colleges are putting in place the infrastructure that will prepare their students for the workforce. Enroll in a college that will prepare you for a career in the industry. If you are unable to do so, look into the courses and certifications that are in high demand in the industry. Develop cross-engineering skills, such as learning some light coding, PHP, JS, or possibly UI design.
Ques. What is a high salary package for an instrumentation engineer?
Ans. Until now, the highest packages offered by Yokogawa, Ebara, Siemens, and Rockwell honeywell automations to IIT KGP were 43LPA, followed by 35LPA at COEP and 29 LPA at NITT for strictly core instrumentation engineers.
Ques. How are the placements and salary of Instrumentation Engineer?
Ans. Salary depends on the industry and company, but as a fresher, you can expect a salary of 3 LPA in a reputable organisation. If you pass GATE and work in a government sector like IOCL or BPCL, you can easily earn 6–7 LPA as a fresher. However, it is recommended that you first enter the field regardless of the salary. No one can stop you from earning a good living if you demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Ques. How can I get an instrumentation engineering job?
Ans. You can get jobs as an instrumentation engineer in various ways. Campus selection in the college itself is a very reliable and safe option. Apart from this, there are off campus placement drives organized by companies hiring instrumentation engineers. You can also write GATE and land in petroleum sector as a fresher.