Industrial electronics careers sit at the heart of modern industry. They cover power electronics, control systems, sensors, actuators, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), industrial communications such as Profibus and EtherNet/IP, motor drives and power converters.
This field spans many roles: design and development, installation and maintenance, automation and robotics, plus testing, quality and safety. From electronic design engineers and embedded systems developers to field service technicians and functional safety specialists, the variety makes it easy to match a role to personal skills and ambitions.
In the UK, demand is strong across manufacturing — including automotive and aerospace — energy and renewables, power distribution, rail, oil and gas decommissioning, and process industries such as food, chemical and pharmaceuticals. That market breadth means competitive industrial electronics jobs and clear progression routes.
This guide is aimed at students, apprentices, career changers and early-career professionals who want to compare roles like products: assessing tasks, training, certification and likely pay. It draws on industry reports from EngineeringUK, job descriptions from employers such as Siemens, ABB and Schneider Electric, and guidance from professional bodies including the IET and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
What careers focus on industrial electronics?
Industrial electronics opens a range of rewarding career paths. The field blends hardware, software and systems work to keep factories, plants and transport networks running. Employers prize both hands‑on competence and formal qualifications, so many routes exist from apprenticeship to chartered engineer status.
Overview of roles within industrial electronics
Core role families include design and R&D, control and automation, installation and support, robotics and systems integration, plus testing and safety. Typical industrial electronics job types cover electronic design engineer, embedded systems developer, control systems engineer, field service engineer, commissioning engineer, maintenance technician, robotics technician, industrial systems integrator, test engineer, quality assurance specialist and functional safety engineer.
Career ladders often begin with apprenticeship or technician roles, progress through engineer and senior engineer, then move into leadership or specialist consultancy. Degree holders can pursue chartered status such as CEng through the IET where IET accredited degrees provide a clear route to professional recognition.
Work is cross‑disciplinary. Roles overlap with software engineering, mechanical design, systems engineering and power engineering. That mix makes the sector good for people who enjoy varied technical challenges.
Typical industries and sectors hiring industrial electronics professionals
Manufacturing employers include automotive names like Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan, plus aerospace firms such as Rolls‑Royce and BAE Systems. Consumer goods plants also recruit for automation and robotics roles.
Energy and utilities hire engineers for renewables and grid projects. Companies such as Siemens Gamesa, Vestas and National Grid need specialists for turbine control, transmission electronics and EV charging infrastructure.
Process industries like chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food and drink employ control engineers for validation and tight process control. Employers include Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline.
Transport and infrastructure offer roles in rail signalling, rolling stock and offshore oil and gas projects with firms such as Network Rail and Bombardier taking on skilled electronics staff. Systems integrators and OEMs, for example ABB, Schneider Electric and Rockwell Automation, recruit for design, commissioning and service work.
Emerging sectors include industrial Internet of Things, smart factories, predictive maintenance and cyber‑physical systems where new industrial electronics job types are growing fast.
Skills and qualifications employers prioritise
Employers look for formal qualifications such as HND, BEng or MEng in electronic or electrical engineering, mechatronics, or apprenticeship routes like T‑Levels and NVQs. IET accredited degrees remain important for those aiming for senior roles and chartered status.
Technical competencies include analogue and digital circuit design, PCB layout, power electronics and embedded C/C++. Knowledge of RTOS, PLC programming (Siemens Step7/TIA Portal, Rockwell RSLogix), industrial networks like Modbus and ProfiNet, plus motor control and drives is highly valued.
Practical skills are essential. Soldering, oscilloscope use, multimeter work, fault‑finding and control cabinet assembly feature on job specs. Wiring standards such as BS7671 are often required.
Soft skills matter for career progression. Systems thinking, project management experience, a strong safety culture, clear technical documentation and stakeholder communication help engineers climb to senior roles.
Certifications add credibility. NEBOSH, TÜV functional safety credentials and vendor training from Siemens or ABB strengthen applications for safety and specialist positions.
Design and development careers in industrial electronics
Careers in design and development shape the hardware and software that run factories and renewables. Engineers and developers move from concept to prototype, working with suppliers like Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics to meet EN and IEC standards. A clear path can lead from component-level work to R&D leadership or chartered status with the IET.
Electronic design engineers focus on circuit design, power supplies and motor drives. Typical work includes drive controllers for industrial motors, power converters for inverters and sensor interface boards. Core electronic design engineer duties cover schematic capture, PCB layout and EMI/EMC mitigation using Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro and SPICE tools such as LTspice.
Designers ensure thermal management and compliance with IEC 61000 and EN 60204. They liaise with test labs and component vendors to validate prototypes. Career progression moves toward system architect roles, hardware validation and product management with opportunities across PCB design UK firms and international manufacturers.
Embedded systems developers write firmware for microcontrollers and processors used in controllers, sensor nodes and HMIs. They commonly use ARM Cortex‑M parts like STMicroelectronics STM32, Microchip AVR and NXP platforms. The skill set includes embedded C and C++, real-time operating systems and secure update mechanisms.
Embedded systems developer tools include GCC, Keil, IAR and debuggers such as JTAG and SWD. Real-time concerns demand deterministic scheduling, watchdog timers and MISRA C practices. Teams integrate Modbus, CANopen and EtherCAT stacks while embedded C developers UK bring safety-focused firmware to IIoT deployments.
Control systems engineers design control logic and specify PLCs, HMIs and SCADA for industrial processes. Typical responsibilities are algorithm development for closed-loop control, PID tuning and network architecture. Engineers use Siemens S7/TIA Portal, Rockwell Studio 5000 and Schneider tools to program ladder logic, function blocks and structured text.
Control systems engineer PLC design often covers safety PLC selection, SIL considerations and redundancy schemes. Work includes FAT and SAT support, commissioning and collaboration with mechanical and process teams to ensure reliable, fail-safe operation in production environments.
Installation, maintenance and field service roles
Careers that keep industrial electronics running combine technical skill with practical decision-making. Work in this area ranges from rapid onsite fixes to planned programmes that prevent downtime. The following roles show how engineers and technicians protect production, ensure safety, and bring new systems online.
Field service engineer — on-site troubleshooting and repairs
A field service engineer industrial electronics travels to customer sites to diagnose faults and restore production quickly. Tasks include fault-finding with oscilloscopes and portable analysers, replacing PCBs, flashing firmware and recalibrating sensors.
Employers include OEM service teams from Siemens and ABB, third-party providers and in‑house engineering squads. Resilience, clear customer-facing skills and a UK driving licence are essential for work that may require access at height or into restricted plant areas.
Training blends manufacturer certifications and apprenticeships. Career moves can lead to service manager, technical trainer or applications engineering roles.
Maintenance technician — preventive maintenance and reliability
A maintenance technician predictive maintenance focuses on scheduled inspections, lubrication, calibration and component replacement to avoid unplanned downtime. Routine checks keep continuity of production and protect costly assets.
Techniques include vibration analysis, thermal imaging, condition monitoring and PLC/HMI diagnostics. Compliance with lock-off/tag‑out procedures and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations forms part of daily practice.
Typical progression follows NVQ Level 2/3 electrical or electro-mechanical routes towards maintenance engineer, reliability specialist or CMMS expert.
Commissioning engineer — bringing new systems online safely
Commissioning engineer duties cover validation of installations, site acceptance testing and integration of PLCs, HMIs and SCADA. Loop checks, instrument calibration and control logic testing confirm systems meet specifications under load.
Commissioners coordinate with project managers, clients and health and safety officers while compiling documentation and safety dossiers. Adherence to British Standards and CDM Regulations ensures certifications are in place for client acceptance.
Experience gained in commissioning can lead to project management roles or specialist consultancy on complex system rollouts and certification projects.
Automation and robotics career paths
Careers in automation and robotics blend practical engineering with creative problem‑solving. Roles range from hands‑on technicians to systems architects who shape smart factories. Demand in the UK rises as manufacturers adopt Industry 4.0 and IIoT integration, opening diverse industrial automation careers.
The automation engineer typically designs and implements automated systems to boost throughput and quality. Tasks include selecting proximity sensors, encoders and photoelectric detectors, specifying actuators and drives, and writing PLC logic and HMI screens.
Integrating sensors, actuators and control logic
Familiarity with Siemens, Rockwell and Beckhoff products helps engineers prototype reliably. Simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink and digital twin techniques speed commissioning. Networking skills in OPC UA and MQTT, together with cybersecurity knowledge, are essential for resilient installations.
Programming and maintaining robotic cells
Robotics technicians install, programme and maintain robots used for welding, handling and assembly. Common platforms include Fanuc, ABB, KUKA and Yaskawa, with teach pendants and languages like RAPID and KRL in daily use.
Preventive maintenance covers payload checks, calibration and safety curtain verification. Awareness of ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 is crucial when setting up cobots and human‑robot collaboration. Many people find robotics technician jobs to be a direct route into advanced automation roles.
Connecting disparate equipment and networks
Systems integrators design architectures that link legacy machinery to cloud platforms and SCADA. Work often involves protocol translation, gateway configuration and database mapping to enable seamless data flow.
Experience with Kepware, Ignition and platforms such as Siemens MindSphere or Rockwell FactoryTalk supports robust IIoT integration. Systems integrator industrial roles demand both technical depth and client communication skills for scoping and cost estimation.
Progression paths lead from junior automation engineer to senior roles, then on to automation architect or engineering manager. Robotics technicians can move into cell design, robotics engineering or project leadership. For an overview of growing industrial technology careers, consult this career guide.
Testing, quality assurance and safety careers
Careers in testing, quality assurance and safety bring technical skill and responsibility together. Teams that handle validation and regulatory compliance make products reliable and safe for industrial use. Opportunities exist for hands-on roles and specialist positions across manufacturing, rail, automotive and energy sectors.
Test engineer — validation, prototyping and performance testing
A test engineer industrial electronics develops and runs test plans for prototypes and production units. They perform environmental testing, vibration and shock trials, EMC checks and accelerated life assessments. Typical work uses automated test equipment, oscilloscopes and spectrum analysers to capture real-world performance.
Close collaboration with design, procurement and production teams helps close non-conformances and manage component obsolescence. Test engineers often support CE marking and UKCA approval, and they are central to product validation testing throughout the development cycle.
Quality assurance specialist — compliance with standards and regulatory requirements
A QA specialist industrial sets up and maintains quality management systems such as ISO 9001. Daily tasks include root-cause analysis, CAPA, process audits and supplier quality oversight. Statistical process control and supplier audits keep production consistent and compliant.
Regulatory work spans ROHS, REACH and sector-specific rules. Career routes from QA specialist industrial lead to quality manager, compliance officer or regulatory affairs roles within OEMs and manufacturers.
Functional safety engineer — ensuring industrial electronics meet safety integrity levels
A functional safety engineer UK assesses hazards and designs systems to meet standards such as IEC 61508 safety and ISO 13849. They calculate SIL or PL targets, manage the safety lifecycle and compile safety cases for high-risk applications.
These specialists run hazard and risk assessments and validate safety functions for process plants, rail systems and heavy machinery. Certification pathways include TÜV Functional Safety and NEBOSH alongside vendor training for safety PLCs.
Read more about why hardware engineering is a strong career choice at what makes hardware engineering a solid.
Career development, salaries and pathways in the UK
Industrial electronics offers clear entry routes: apprenticeships electronics UK, HNDs and BEng/MEng degrees, or conversion paths for software engineers moving into embedded roles. Early-career technicians often start on-site and build practical skills through vendor training from Siemens or ABB and safety courses such as TÜV functional safety. This hands-on grounding helps when aiming for a career pathway electronics engineer that leads into design, automation or systems integration.
Pay rises with responsibility and credentials. Typical industrial electronics salaries UK range from about £18,000–£28,000 for apprentices and entry technicians, £24,000–£38,000 for maintenance or field service roles, and £30,000–£50,000 for electronic design and embedded engineers. Senior engineers and specialists commonly earn £50,000–£80,000+, with sectors such as aerospace, defence and energy paying a premium. The IET chartered engineer salary uplift is notable for senior roles and often factors into promotion decisions.
Continuous learning and lateral moves broaden prospects. MSc programmes, vendor certifications, OT cybersecurity and robotics courses open routes into consultancy, project management or start-ups focused on IIoT and smart manufacturing. Employers in London and the South East typically offer higher pay and extra benefits like shift allowances and funded training, while graduate schemes at major OEMs remain a reliable way into complex projects.
The long-term outlook in the UK is strong. Demand is driven by automation, electrification and reshoring of manufacturing, which keeps industrial electronics salaries UK resilient. Treat a career as a series of trials: try apprenticeships, collect vendor certificates, build a demonstrable portfolio, and specialise in areas that match both your skills and market demand.
