Instrumentation & Controls Technician vs SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer: what energy employers ask for
As of 29 October 2026, Plutarch tracked 193 open Instrumentation & Controls Technician postings and 939 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: 135 for Instrumentation & Controls Technician, 753 for SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer.
| Skill or tool | Instrumentation & Controls Technician | SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| PLC programming | 47% | 53% |
| SCADA | 18% | 45% |
| DCS | 24% | 27% |
| Cybersecurity | not listed | 22% |
| High or medium voltage | 20% | not listed |
| P&IDs | 19% | 16% |
| Excel | 16% | not listed |
| Lockout / tagout | 16% | not listed |
| SAP | 14% | not listed |
| Power systems / grid | not listed | 13% |
| Python | not listed | 13% |
| Root-cause analysis | not listed | 12% |
| AutoCAD / MicroStation | not listed | 11% |
Certificates and licences
A mention is what employers ask for; it does not mean a law requires it.
| Certificate or licence | Instrumentation & Controls Technician | SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | 21% | not listed |
| Professional Engineer licence (PE / P.Eng) | not listed | 11% |
Where the postings are
| Country | Instrumentation & Controls Technician | SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 69% | 56% |
| India | not listed | 8% |
| Canada | 7% | 7% |
| Saudi Arabia | 4% | not listed |
| United Kingdom | 4% | 3% |
| Australia | 3% | not listed |
| Germany | not listed | 2% |
How many postings state pay
- Instrumentation & Controls Technician: 37 of 133 postings whose pay we could read (28%)
- SCADA, Controls & Automation Engineer: 255 of 625 postings whose pay we could read (41%)
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.
“Not listed” means the skill, credential or country is not among those shown on that role's own page, not that no posting names it. 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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