PLC & Automation Skills That Are in Demand Right Now

Automation and controls is one of the tightest specialties in manufacturing staffing — plants are adding robotics and automated equipment faster than the skilled labor pool is growing, which makes this a strong specialty to move into if you already have an electrical or mechanical background.

Core skills worth building

PLC programming. Allen-Bradley (Rockwell) and Siemens are the two platforms you’ll see most often in North American plants, with Mitsubishi and Omron showing up depending on the industry. You don’t need to master every platform — being genuinely strong in one and conversational in a second makes you far more placeable than being a beginner in three.

Ladder logic and HMI configuration. Being able to read and troubleshoot existing ladder logic is often more immediately useful on the job than writing programs from scratch — a lot of automation technician work is diagnosing why an existing system stopped doing what it’s supposed to.

Electrical troubleshooting fundamentals. Automation problems are frequently electrical problems in disguise — a bad sensor, a loose connection, a failed relay. Strong fundamentals here separate technicians who can actually fix a down line from those who can only read code.

Robotics familiarity. FANUC and ABB are common industrial robot platforms. Even basic experience jogging a robot, teaching points, or reading a fault code is a meaningful credential as more plants add robotic cells.

How to build these skills without a four-year degree

Many technical and community colleges offer mechatronics or industrial automation certificate programs that run well under two years. Manufacturer-specific training (Rockwell’s certifications, for example) is also widely recognized and can be pursued alongside a current job.

Where this specialty leads

Automation technicians who build a strong track record often move into controls engineering, systems integration, or automation project management — roles that pay a meaningful premium over general maintenance work.

If this is the direction you want your career to go, browse open automation and controls roles or send us your resume so we know what to look for on your behalf.