Automation Job Descriptions & Salaries

View our pharmaceutical job descriptions and salary guide and see which position is best for you along with your estimated starting salary.

Engineer (Automation)


Job description – An Automation Engineer primarily supports manufacturing, utilities and facilities operations, as well as the operation and maintenance of the entire plant’s automation and control systems. Responsible for the support and execution of automation qualification as well as the resolution of all automation-related issues, the Automation Engineer will also develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and implement maintenance programmes for the automation and control systems. In addition, managing vendor service contracts as well as preparing the operation and maintenance budget will also come under the purview of this role.

Salary ranges* based on years of experience ($) –

  • 1-5 years: 39,000 – 75,000

Ideal background – Bachelor’s degree in engineering, knowledge of automated systems, previous experience of control/instrumentation in relevant industry.

Career path – Senior Engineer > Engineering Manager > Engineering Director

Systems Engineer


Job description – Tasks include creation, fitting and monitoring equipment and assembly lines within the manufacture process. Aiming to integrate the entire process, the role covers both hardware and software components.

Salary ranges* based on years of experience ($) –

  • 4-10 years: 48,000 – 84,000

Ideal background – Bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics or similar, experience in industrial environment advantageous

Career path – Senior Systems Engineer > IT Manager > IT Director

Employment outlook – Kelly Services ‘hot job’ for 2015.

Applications Engineer


Job description – Design, implement and maintain applications and software used within the manufacturing process. Involved with ongoing testing and analysis.

Salary ranges* based on years of experience ($) –

  • 4-10 years: 55,200 – 80,000

Ideal background – Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computing or information technology. Relevant experience in manufacturing environment highly desirable.

Career path – Senior Applications Engineer

Computer Operations Specialist


Job description – Oversees coordination of computer processing systems and procedures. Plans, tests and analyses updates to systems. Focus is on producing efficient systems while maintaining user satisfaction.

Salary ranges* based on years of experience ($) –

  • 4-10 years: 48,000 – 72,000

Ideal background – Previous experience in computer systems within manufacturing operations highly desirable.

Career path – Senior Computer Operations Specialist