The Next Tech Gold Rush
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- The rise of industrial automation is transforming the manufacturing landscape, creating a surge in demand for controls engineers. This specialized field bridges the gap between hardware integration and software development, offering a unique blend of technical expertise.
While the previous tech boom focused on software development, controls engineering represents a new frontier. Unfortunately, this critical role remains underrepresented in traditional curricula, leading to a talent shortage within the manufacturing industry.
To shed light on this exciting career path, I'm hosting a discussion with my wife, a controls engineer with extensive experience in machine automation. We'll delve into the intricacies of the field and explore the opportunities it presents for both businesses and individuals. - Наука та технологія
If you have any questions or comments for Ann relating to industrial automation or controls that we didn’t address during this interview then she is going to be down here in the comments answering them. This is her first time doing any public speaking or interviews on social media so be nice and respectful. Thanks a million times over for watching and supporting this channel!
Thank you for this opportunity to share my passion for automation! I hope it's helpful for others who are interested in this profession or those who have never heard of it. I really enjoy the work I do each day and the future is so exciting to think about!
Actually i do have some questions about this field. Currently I’m learning electromechanics. For mechanic parts, I learned hydraulic, pneumatic systems; for electrical parts, I learned things like transistor, and for control system, just PLC. I’m wondering is that enough to start in this industry? What else is necessary? Thank you both
As a former programmer working in Android & Unity development for 12 years in China, i am currently studying PLC & Automation in Canada. This video increased my understanding of the future of this industry and my own career. Thanks.
Thanks for the great comment! I'm happy to hear that you're getting something from it. There is an exciting future ahead for you in the industry!
That's awesome! I'm sure you have many years of enjoyment ahead of you.
now I'm encouraged for the future in tech.
automation is definitely the future
Your wife is super smart. Very on point as an interviewee. Very informative and insightful. Thank you for such great content.
Thanks, I'll tell her you said that, I think she'll love to hear that considering her family berates her often for having gone into a tech field as a woman. I really appreciate your viewership and all of your comments!
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!
Loved the video, can't wait for the next
This interview was incredibly enlightening, providing a captivating glimpse into the world of industrial automation jobs. It's truly fascinating to see the intersection of technology and industry through the lens of this lady's experiences. Her insights into the evolving landscape of automation, from the integration of AI to the increasing demand for skilled technicians, shed light on the dynamic nature of this field. I particularly appreciated her emphasis on the importance of adaptability and continuous learning, essential traits in an industry where innovation moves at such a rapid pace. This interview not only highlights the exciting opportunities within industrial automation but also underscores the vital role of individuals like her in shaping the future of manufacturing and beyond.
Thanks for the nice comment, much appreciated!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you for your encouraging words. ❤
Great video as always! Amazing how Ann's skills include software (AutoCAD, MATLAB, PLC, LabVIEW, etc.) that are part of the required knowledge for all engineering majors. Given Ann's extensive experience, I do suggest she speaks in later interviews about the roadmap to mastering automation & control. Video is really insightful!
Thanks, Ahmad. Great advice! That'd be a great next topic. :)
Thank you for such a detailed analysis!
My pleasure!
Been a dev for almost 25 years and worked at 8 different companies. Women devs are rare in my experience, but the few I did work with were superb engineers. It's a shame theres so few of them in field. Hopefully that changes.
Totally agreed, same experience here.
Your experience sounds extensive! I'd like to hear more about it.
It is gradually changing. I love that women are being encouraged to explore technology and companies are more open to hiring women. But I also don't want the change to be forced. There are incredible women engineers because their interest is strong and they are passionate about engineering and technology and they had to work hard to get where they are.
@@annives I've been all over the place as far as work goes. Early on, I worked for a few casino gaming companies that specialized in making slot machines and table game technology, then the rest of my career was in healthcare management working a lot with Medicare/Medicaid.
In the places I worked where there were women developers, I feel like they enjoyed it a lot. We did treat them any different, we just cared about making deadlines. I was quite good friends with one and we talked about the lack of women in tech and she told me that a lot of other women discourage them, warning them that it's man's field and it's filled with a bunch of nerdy guys who are awkward around women. While I've definitely worked with some awkward and nerdy guys before, I've never seen it affect the women we worked with. Another thing she told me was "men tend to like working with things while women like working with people." After that I realized she might have been into something because it does seem like women to gravitate toward fields where they interact with people more often than not. Makes me wonder if it's due to society steering women away from STEM fields at an early age. Did you experience anything like that? I know my friend said she got pressured by her parents to be a nurse or teacher. That would have been a shame because she was really good at her job and I know she loved it.
Thanks, Josh. Great video!
My pleasure! Thank you very much for watching and commenting!
Thanks for posting this, I have been very interested in automation and considering a career transition. This was very informative
Glad it was helpful! I hope you find an excellent position in the field. Jobs are abundant so you should be able to.
Very welcome! Good luck in your career adventures! Let us know if you have any questions.
Fantastic video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it Thanks for watching and commenting. :)
Great video! I had no idea there was so much demand for this role
Yeah, when Ann got laid off she had to look for a new role, and every single day she got 10+ interviews. I've never seen somebody so busy before doing constant interviews all day long. She probably did 100 of them. And every single company she interviewed with got back to her and wanted to hire her. That's how in demand it is right now, it reminds me of tech in San Fran in 2009.
@@JoshChristiane People complain about the game industry. Just get out and do something else for a few years. Save up money and start your own thing. There are so many opportunities.
Great video. Your wife is highly capable and very articulate! A real keeper.
As an automation salesperson for almost 10 years in the industry I'd like to chime in a few things,
1. It's funny how you mention "traditional programming", as if PLCs haven't existed before modern day software programming. Industrial Automation existed way before modern day software programming, so I don't think it's fair to call what Meta and Google SDEs do as "traditional programming".
2. What's your take on the pay gap between Automation and "Tech"? Tech programmers are snobs posting about their ridiculous pay and levels.fyi in the range of 300 - 600K. Automation Controls Engineers as you mentioned in the comments, gets paid 80-150K which is comparatively, peanuts. Kind of comparable of how much I am paid being a "hardware" salesperson vs. someone with a "Tech" software sales job.
Thanks for commenting! Some great observations there. When I said "traditional" I didn't mean it in the sense of historical uses for programming. More so I was referring to the mainstream understanding of what people's perception of "common" programming is. But it's more useful to be specific and just say "modern" software programming. For a good chunk of my career I was a hardware programmer (microcontrollers and later drivers), so I understand the usefulness of correct labeling, but I try not to get too caught up in semantics as well because that's its own distraction.
In terms of the pay gap, that's closing rapidly. When I was working as a principal engineer at a FAANG basically everybody around me near the executive branch of engineering was far into the 7 figure salaries. Those jobs are becoming much less common, and much harder to get as the economic squeeze on technology has been fairly dramatic. In SV there is this false perception that anything related to hardware or automation programming is blue collar work by comparison. The hubris of these people will come back to bite them as the game of musical chairs is ending. The people that will inherit the future of higher pay in technology will mostly be in subsets of fields that many software developers likely don't even know about. I feel as though controls automation is still overlooked, but its demand will only continue to increase as a result. Controls Engineers in demand in Dallas can easily fetch 200k a year salaries now, and only a few years ago that maxed out at 80k. I don't think that field will become over-saturated for a long time. What's old is new again, I guess it's like fashion trends.
It's cool that you worked as a salesperson in the industry, and I'm sure you saw a lot of the same trends I'm seeing now.
Software is tomorrow, hardware is forever.
Thank you for watching and the perceptive useful comment! 👍🏻
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I might study automation in college now...
There are trade schools for automation as well, and that might be something to look into as well.
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I know my next job search now
It'll reward you dividends.
I've found it to be very rewarding and a highly interesting profession. Unlike applying for PC programming and software developer jobs, you will actually get contacted by the companies you apply for and if you are actively searching for a job you can have several interviews lined up every day in the week. When I was looking for a job, within one week I had several very good offers to choose from.
Make sure you prepare well for the interview, understand important subjects like PLC programming, drive control, safety protocols, SCADA, HMI design, IO, how to read electrical and machine schematics, etc. Have some experiences and stories ready to share that show how you have solved complex problems in the past or interesting projects you have worked on. Telling a good story and showing that you are a great problem solver will make them respect and value you.
Very interesting video thank you both for the information. I’ve been a professional software engineer for around 8 years. This seems like it could be an interesting field to learn and have as a backup. Guessing it would be a large pay cut to “start over”. Also wonder how susceptible the field is to AI compared to general software engineering.
I think you would have a lot to offer the field having been in software for 8 years. Controls roles and tasks are extremely diverse. You could work for a company who builds and programs machines for manufacturers; work for an OEM and service their existing machines; work as a SCADA, database, and continuous improvement specialist - involves Ignition, Wonderware, or VTScada, database and server management, and coming up with ideas for data reports and solutions; work for a robot development company as a software engineer; or if you have any background in cyber security you could support the deficiency in the industry. Many automation companies and manufacturers need PC software developers as well to work on their ERP or SAP systems and other internal systems, or maintain their website.
You'll see positions for Electrical Engineers/Designers, which I believe would have a higher learning curve being that you'd need to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of all the available controls devices out there and keep up with new ones and learn the standards for Control Panel Design and schematics.
Controls programming is pretty easy to pick up through online courses and practice. PLC I and PLC II by Paul Lynn on Udemy were my favorite - they include hands on projects that are relevant to work in the field. He also teaches basic HMI design. The courses go on sale often - I bought them for around $12. It can help to learn ladder logic, structured text, and function block programming, and learn several of the PLC softwares that are popular - RSLogix500, RSLogix5000, Studio5000 for Allen Bradley plcs, and TIA Portal for Siemens PLCs. Schneider Electric also has free PLC software to download and learn on, and it's used fairly often throughout the industry. I think you'd pick it all up pretty quickly with your background.
Ignition also has free Inductive University online courses so you can learn how to use Ignition. It's a SCADA software for monitoring controls systems and plants remotely. You can also get certified by them. Super useful and becoming very popular in the industry.
As far as pay, complete entry level can pay around $70k, but with your experience I think you'd get higher than that, especially if you prepare and have some controls skills and knowledge when you interview. I've gotten offers for about $150k with around 7 years of experience.
I'm the controls industry AI is a great tool, but it'll never replace controls engineers. The applications we work on are too unique and involve to many changing factors for AI to reliably handle. It complements our work though. It's already being used for data analysis, prediction and simulations.
I think the field is a LOT harder to replace with AI since the work is very physical. It requires quite a lot of in-space 3 dimensional positioning, as well as information that's niche and extremely difficult for AI to gain access to. It'd be like replacing plumbers with AI, it's just not possible at the moment, and won't be for a long time.
That makes sense. Thank you for the response and all of the great content!
I left a comment before, but it seems to not be showing up. I'll try again.
Like Josh mentioned, AI is being used as a tool for data analysis, simulations and making predictions. It might even be used later for acting as a reference guide for standardized codes and technical information. But it can never replace Controls and electrical engineers.
As far as a pay cut, I think your past experience as a software engineer would be very valuable and give you insight to solve problems with programs and networks better and faster than most people. You'd pick up controls programming very quickly and you're probably accustomed to learning new technologies. If you gained the skills needed to program PLCs and HMIs, set up SCADA systems, do some simple schematic design and understand schematics, you could be making a six figure salary within a couple years of experience. (Not everyone could do that, but I think you could build on your past experience and find roles that would find it advantageous). If you look for work in cities where controls engineering is in high demand, like Dallas, you could probably negotiate around a $150k salary within a couple years of experience if not right away.
A lot of the experience and skills needed can be gained through online courses, reading the publicly available manuals from Allen Bradley on their PLCs, Drives, and IO modules, and browsing PLC related forums. Paul Lynn on Udemy has my favorite PLC I and II courses. Inductive Automation has free Ignition University courses online and you can even go through their certification after completing the training. Ignition is super popular in the industry now and very useful. Manuals for PLCs and all kinds of automation equipment and how to program them are publicly available online and free to read - I reference them all the time, so if you read through those you will learn pretty much everything you need to know.
Once you go through all the free training materials out there, there are also paid courses offered by Allen Bradley, Siemens and others. You can work towards and get a Professional Engineering License in your state, which also allows you to negotiate higher salaries and gain trust in the industry.
I wish you the best in your professional development and careers!
Thank you for all of the information!
How much does controls pay??
Generally between 80k - 150k range in the USA, but that might be less in other countries.
I second that. It also depends on the metro area in the USA. In Dallas it's not uncommon to get offers for 150k/year if you have a few years experience.
Since there is a high demand for controls workers and lower supply, you have the ability to negotiate your pay and benefits better during the interview process.
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Automation will eventually replace all jobs..
Eventually I'm sure it will replace many industrial/factory positions, though obviously not all jobs in the world. Plumbers and electricians will be safe for a long time coming.
It's replacing some jobs, mostly the repetitive ones. But more than anything it's changing and enhancing the work we do. We still need operators, maintenance personnel, and controls specialists to service the automated systems. In many plants, an automated tool might be something to make a technician's job easier or faster, like an arm that can lift and move heavy loads while the operator works on the material, or an unhooking wand that an operator uses to remove a hook/clip from product quickly.
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