Commissioning Engineer vs SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer: what energy employers ask for
As of 9 November 2026, Plutarch tracked 617 open Commissioning Engineer postings and 1060 open SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer postings at energy employers.
Skills and tools
Share of the postings we could read in full that name each skill: 411 for Commissioning Engineer, 853 for SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer.
— means not among those shown on that role's own page, not that no posting names it.
| Skill or tool | Commissioning Engineer | SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| PLC programming | — | 53% |
| SCADA | 15% | 45% |
| DCS | — | 27% |
| Cybersecurity | — | 21% |
| High or medium voltage | 19% | — |
| P&IDs | 12% | 16% |
| Lockout / tagout | 15% | — |
| Python | — | 14% |
| Power systems / grid | 10% | 13% |
| Battery storage | 12% | — |
| Protection and relays | 12% | — |
| Root-cause analysis | — | 11% |
| AutoCAD / MicroStation | — | 10% |
Certificates and licences
A mention is what employers ask for; it does not mean a law requires it.
— means not among those shown on that role's own page, not that no posting names it.
| Certificate or licence | Commissioning Engineer | SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Engineer licence (PE / P.Eng) | — | 11% |
Where the postings are
— means not among those shown on that role's own page, not that no posting names it.
| Country | Commissioning Engineer | SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 36% | 57% |
| United Arab Emirates | 8% | — |
| Canada | 5% | 7% |
| India | 5% | 7% |
| United Kingdom | 7% | 3% |
| Germany | — | 2% |
How many postings state pay
- Commissioning Engineer: 96 of 283 postings whose pay we could read (34%)
- SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer: 294 of 703 postings whose pay we could read (42%)
Pay levels are not compared here: each role's figures come from different countries and currencies. They are on each role's own page. Pay disclosure tracks local pay-transparency law more closely than employer policy, so the two rates partly reflect where each role is advertised.
This compares what employers ask for in the two roles; it does not count how many people hold those skills or say that one role can do the other.
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