Industrial Automation Engineer
Designs and implements automated manufacturing systems — PLCs, robotics, SCADA and control systems. Combines electrical, mechanical and software engineering to automate production lines.
- AI exposure
- 35 of 100, low exposure
- Hiring trend
- Rising
- Hiring rate
- 50%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- No
- Freelance potential
- Medium
- Time to senior
- 7 years
A day in the role
Programs a PLC for a new bottling line, troubleshoots a SCADA system fault, integrates a robotic arm for packaging, and trains operators on the new automation system.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 70,000-130,000
- Mid
- KES 170,000-380,000
- Senior
- KES 450,000-1,000,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 36% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside engineering the mean is 42, across 113 careers.
Named task by task
Already automated
- AI-powered predictive maintenance for production lines
- Automated quality inspection with computer vision
- Generating PLC program templates
- AI-assisted process optimisation
Still human
- Designing and programming PLC and SCADA systems
- Integrating robotics into production lines
- Troubleshooting and maintaining automation systems
- Optimising production processes
- Training operators and maintenance staff
- Ensuring safety compliance
Task counts
- Displacing
- AI automates basic PLC programming
- Augmenting
- AI predictive maintenance improves uptime
- Creating
- AI-driven smart manufacturing creates new roles
Sources
Behind the rating- Siemens Kenya
- Kenya manufacturing
- WEF Future of Jobs 2023
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Sugar ManufacturingKsh 40,000a year
- Trade Test Grade III in Motor Vehicle MechanicsKsh 41,500a year
- Certificate in Metal Processing TechnologyKsh 42,600a year
- Electrical Wireman Grade I, II and IIIKsh 54,000a year
- Artisan in Automotive EngineeringKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Building TechnologyKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Carpentry and JoineryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Electrical EngineeringKsh 67,189a year
How people get in
BSc Electrical/Mechatronics + automation training
5-6 yearsVery high cost
BSc from UoN, JKUAT or TUK plus PLC and automation certifications
Who hires
- Manufacturing Companies
- Bamburi Cement
- East African Breweries
- Bidco Africa
- Automation Companies (Siemens, ABB)
Common misconceptions
Automation engineering eliminates jobs
Automation engineers create efficiency that grows businesses — they design, maintain and improve the systems, and the field itself is a growing employer.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Growth outlook
- Net demand change
- +20%
- Over
- 2026-2028
- Drivers
- Manufacturing automation,Industry 4.0 adoption,Robotics integration
- Headwinds
- Cost of automation equipment,Skills gap
What to learn
- AI predictive maintenance
- Industrial IoT and edge computing
- Collaborative robotics (cobots)
Kenyan market notes
Kenya manufacturing is automating — EABL, Bidco, Bamburi, Unilever. Growing demand for automation engineers as companies modernise. Siemens and ABB have Kenya operations. Limited automation expertise — high demand. Salary: entry KES 70,000-130,000, mid KES 170,000-380,000, senior KES 450,000-1,000,000+.
Further reading
This role is rated 35 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.