Instrumentation engineering is one of the complicated but sophisticated branches of engineering discipline which may be studied as a separate branch or along with electronics engineering. The study mainly focuses on the design, configuration and automated systems. The professionals who are involved in these activities are known as instrumentation engineers.Instrumentation engineers usually work in industries with automated processes, such as chemical or manufacturing plants with the goal of improving system productivity, reliability and stability. They are responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of instruments and entire instrumentation systems. Instrumentation engineers also decide the type of instruments required for ensuring better quality and efficiency of the end product. Hence they are considered to be essential positions in the industrial manufacturing sector.
Courses & Eligibility
An individual interested to make his/her career in instrumentation engineering can take up “electronics and instrumentation engineering” or simply “instrumentation engineering” branch at the undergraduate level i.e. BE/BTech. He/She must have completed plus two Science with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with good percentages of marks in aggregate. Selections are generally made on the basis of entrance examinations conducted both at national and state level (e.g. IITJEE, AIEEE, BITSAT etc.). After qualifying the entrance exam he/she would take up BE/BTech in Electronics-Instrumentation/Instrumentation engineering which is of four years duration.
One can also go for Diploma program after completion of his/her class 10th. In this case he/she will be recognized with the status of a junior engineer.
One, who still wants to study further after completing BE/BTech, can pursue MTech program offered by Indian Institutes of Technology and few other engineering colleges in the country.
Individuals with interests in research areas can pursue PhD after his/her post graduation studies for carrying out research works.
AMIE Associate Memberships of the Institution of Engineers also offers courses in Electronics and Instrumentation engineering which are equivalent to BE/BTech provided by other institutes/universities.
Career Prospects
Instrumentation engineers find jobs in various sectors including R&D units of public and private sector companies, heavy industries such as thermal power stations, steel plants, refineries, cement and fertilizer plants etc. They also find jobs in companies manufacturing specialized instruments as well as in the user industries themselves, both in public as well as private sectors.
Pay-Package
The average starting monthly salary of instrumentation engineering graduates in India ranges between Rs. 10,000 – Rs.20, 000. The pay-package in foreign countries is much higher as compared to India. Fresh graduates from elite technological institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Birla Institute of Technology get more remuneration as compared to others.
Working experience, qualifications, ability are important factors in determining the pay level. Those who are working in the private sector are paid more than the public sector. Senior instrumentation experts with more than five years of working experience can earn anywhere between Rs 25,000 and Rs 80,000 per month or even more.
Institutes/Universities
Many of the engineering colleges in India offer B.E./BTech programs in instrumentation engineering as a separate branch or as combined subject with electronics. The pioneer institutes are the Indian Institutes of Technology, Birla institute of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), College of Engineering and Technology (Anna University) and several other engineering colleges.