How to become an automation engineer
Official title: Automation engineer
Also called: Automated systems engineer, Automation systems engineer, Autonomous systems engineer, Robotics engineer, Automated systems engineer, Autonomous systems engineer, Robotics engineer
Automation engineer researches, designs, and develops applications and systems for the automation of the production process. He/she implements technology and integrates various systems such as for software automation, factory automation, process automation, warehousing and logistics automation to reduce human input and shorten process time to increase productivity.
Main tasks
- Analysing workforce utilisation, facility layout, operational data and production schedules and costs to determine optimum worker and equipment efficiencies
- Developing specifications for manufacture, and determining materials, equipment, piping, material flows, capacities and layout of plant and systems
- Establishing standards and policies for installation, modification, quality control, testing, inspection and maintenance according to engineering principles and safety regulations
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 4 universities in Singapore
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an automation engineer?
Ways in include: Engineering degrees.
Will AI change the work of an automation engineer?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026