I am an instrumentation technician, 35 years of service. A rewarding career. I have worked on various transmitters such as pressure, feedback controllers, valves, pneumatic transducers, vibration sensors, level transmitters, flame detectors, proximity switches, alarms, flow transmitters, temperature, key phasors, conveyor systems, solenoid valves, etc. It never ends.
Hey mate I’m considering getting into this line of work. Been a cabinet maker for about 10 years and looking to pursue something more technical and more future focused. Would you have any advice for someone looking to get a foot in the door?
I can agree with your video whole heartedly. I don't have much of the electrical background but I'm definetly getting my crash course as I go. One thing I was told when I was going to school was that I wouldn't be bending tube so it wasn't important to learn lol.... that was a joke. I spent my first year reading P&ID's and bending tube for building new separator packages( all new construction), and installing instruments for new construction (it was 70% new construction and 30% maintenance job). Now that I'm in a meter prover roll, I rarely bend tube (mostly to fix a small leak or retro fit something). It's an excellent trade to get into, just remember reality is far different form exception and these day I spend most my time with my dog and myself on my own schedule (with deadlines).
Thanks for this video. My father-in-law just offered me a I&E job, $22/hr w/ $125 per diem, said I'll start as a helper. Pretty exciting stuff, never did anything like it before. I've worked in tech for Microsoft for the last 7 years, so I have no idea what to expect until I watched this. I just couldn't say no tho, 9k/mo as a helper is insane money to me, life changing. I honestly want to make this my lifelong career the more I learn about it.
A little tip not sure if you want it.. if you're looking for stuff to study I would start with physics. Obviously electrical theory and just understanding different types of devices is very important but if you understand physics is it comes up with liquid processes torque Force pressure things like that it'll help you understand what's happening a lot better
Just subscribed man! Finished all my degree prerequisite classes now I’ll be taking my instrumentation classes, to finish the degree. Looking forward to the career.
As someone who may be starting very shortly in this field, this video helped calm my new job jitters. I'm good at learning on the job and troubleshooting. I keep hearing that's really the bulk of it, which makes me breathe so much easier!
Yeah that's pretty much it.. it's going to take a little bit to be good at your job just be really careful around electricity. Remember you're probably expecting a lot more from yourself than anyone else is expecting from you. On a serious note try to stay calm and don't let yourself get frustrated.... That's when accidents happen. Anytime you're dealing with live electricity move really slow make calculated movements and decisions good luck
Hey Greg! I was at Palm Beach State College last night for the annual Graduation projects / Career Day, and your name came up. I like your page, there's good info here. Hope you're doing well and enjoying life. I love this field, and look forward to seeing a new group of interns very soon. You are one of our success stories, it makes me very proud of what you and everal others have accomplished. If you remember Dan Hooks, he is working at the Belle Glade Water plant, and Griffin McDonald is a tech at Southern Region. Zachary, another intern is working at Covanta in an Instrument Tech/Electrician role. Keep up the great work!
Bro thank you for this content. I think your the only person putting this stuff out in America. Not a lot of people even know about instrumentation! I’m about to get into my last year and your videos are super insightful and encouraging man! Have you ever worked in the oil refineries? That’s where I want to take my instrumentation.
No I haven't I wish viewers would read the comments more I know a lot of my viewers work in refineries.. my understanding is it can be hard work but the pay is outrageous
I just started my instrumentation and Electrical certificate this year cant wait to get in the field it honestly sounds perfect, been doing this type of trouble shooting and fixing for a while from tvs to projectors and more.
@ I’m on my final 2 classes right now and then I graduate. I’ve been feeling a bit nervous about how this is going to go, but honestly I really love my motors and controls class I’m in right now and I’d be happy doing it for the rest of my life. Being a Technician for a factory doesnt sound too bad.
@@no_one_from_nowhere yea its a chill job honestly, some places are super slow borderline boring. I would start applying if i were you… im happy to coach tou thru the process if you want its a hobby of mine you can find me on LinkedIn with any questions
@smithsoloman2020 I got a few buddy from the last couple months.. I was thinking the next video is going to be what's it like working second shift followed by why I chose to be a technician rather than an engineer. Thoughts
I got the job. Scored 75 on a hundred question multiple choice test. Passing score is 70. Today was my first day. I spent most of the time touring the wastewater plant and meeting people. Then a little time prioritizing certifications and testing. Managed to get some studying in also. Thanks for the tips on my last comment. It helped tremendously.
If you want to put your knowledge to the test, become a programmer. PLC, HMI, SCADA systems will require you to know schematics, installation, testing, Design, programming and teaching technicians your design or program. Many of my control techs came from a maintenance background after learning a little bit about controls only. One of them cant even read ladder but he understands the machine sequences so well over time that he uses his memory to help him troubleshoot
Interesting Insight I appreciate the comment. I'm kind of like at that sweet spot where I'm sort of qualified to be an engineer but not really I'm currently actually working as an operator with a lot of controls work in our operations and I do enjoy my job.. there are Engineers there though you never know what the future holds
I came from 12 years of maintenance on the same machines. I know their personalities, so to speak. I am so happy to finally be able to look at and fix when these huge machines just..."ok it's not supposed to do that, and we can't fix that so call controls team." The logic is just number hopping for me because I already know how the machine acts in real life with specific instructions as opposed to just some lines and numbers.
Hello, I'm a sophomore in high school and I'm looking to robotics and Elec Automation in Trade School (with a goal of being an I&E TECH), and i was hoping to get some pointers on what to research and buy to get started
First off, experience is everything. You're very fortunate to know what you want to do at such a young age, I would suggest putting in the work now... it will pay off big time later. Most of controls work his troubleshooting circuits and understanding how different controllers work. Troubleshoot and build controls circuits, learn about Rockwell automation products those are most common in the field. Siemens is a plus (I don't know Siemens). Learn Robotics also. I think Robotics are going to very important. Fanuc robots are becoming more and more common. If you can get a engineering degree I would.. if you get good enough with the equipment you DO NOT need a bachelor's to be an engineer but it does help. If you have the ability get an Allen Bradley plc and a test bench and build stuff. Join a mechatronics club or competition. Learn about IT, network technology and architecture. You don't need a super deep understanding of all these topics, but if you have a basic understanding, it'll take you a long way. I would suggest figuring out what school program you're going to go to now. All the thingsI just mentioned are really extra things that will pay off in the end you don't need to do all of it. I would suggest getting at least an associate's degree. It all depends on your family's financial situation but if you can get a bachelor's degree I would go for it. Look at schools figure out what degrees sound good & reach out to the professors or program chairs in the department and ask what type of career placement and clubs they have. If you are ambitious over the next few years you'll have a very successful life
Sounds easier than being an Automotive Technician. I do a lot of electrical Diagnostics and tearing down engines or removing dashes in vehicle. I get paid 23-26 per hour but it's a grind being commission based. I'm trying to get out of the auto industry and find something stable (for me). But this is a good insight from ones experience
If you have that experience you can most likely get a job as an industrial maintenance tech and over time start shifting into instrumentation. You most likely will have to get qm associates but not neccesarily woth the right experience. Industrial maintenance tech is similar; a lot of the skills transfer you would just need to learn on the job. Most mtechs start 25-35 an hour
To make the shift you need to learn about three phase power physics different types of instruments plc's industrial control systems and have some experience with how industrial things are set up and safety stuff at cetera. It's a similar skill-set but everything looks completely different
@@gregroche7323 I'm currently going over ITI Institution classes and I have been watching videos on all the classes available and I am wanting a good schedule. and Instrument & Control Systems Tech seems to be more of what i enjoy, and that's Diagnostics. It's a 2 yr Degree but out of all the videos I've watched this field speaks the loudest.
What schooling did you go to where they taught specifically instrumentation?? I’ve worked for 3 years as an industrial electrician apprentice and want to get a job as an I and E eventually except I don’t know how to get trained or schooled for instrumentation.
That's a good question the fact that you have some electrician experience is going to put you away ahead of people with no experience that's part of the job. There's a pretty wide range of job titles that I consider instrumentation, instrumentation and electrical technician controls technician automation technician Etc. Generally speaking there's not really degrees called instrumentation that usually falls under electrical engineering technology or something like that. If you can find a engineering or mechatronics or automation certificate I think that would get you qualified enough to get land the job. I would look into different programs at community colleges by you you got to read the descriptions to see
Good morning sir, I’m Raul Escamilla, hey I just got a job with BLS oil services out of Texas, I&E level 3 apprentice, and I love it, and I’d love to talk about it sometime ,
I don’t know it all depends on where you work usually you can. Some places have a lot of emergency repairs and some places it’s almost none. It just depends on the company no matter where you’re at. You’re gonna prioritize your duties and usually it’s pretty lenient in my experience. So yeah generally it doesn’t matter if you get PMs done on time if other things are going on, calibrations have a more rigid due daye. Depending on what you are calibrating some things will shit diwn production if they aren’t done on time I.E. toxic gas detectors, thermocouples in food production stuff like that. In my opinion, that’s one of the benefits of finding a job where there is a wide variety it never really gets old
I feel you bro the title is slightly misleading.. I'll plan on making another day in the life video and I'll pull pictures off Google images that look very similar to what I've done or maybe even put on some of the wiring that I've done in the past that previous jobs you really can't videotape stuff inside of factories water plants and research centers
Right now calibration of light andcsound speed and ratio change base on ether accessory for instrumentation can make quick money for longer aim later..i had seen light medicine by programing water as medicine. I thought you got million dollars instead of award
I am a 18 year old and I am the Instrument Techs helper right now. I have already learned how to calibrate all the transmitters, level switches, and currently testing all the instruments if they turn on, on the skits. Should I take a online course to get certified after this job is finished or go to in person school??
Hey broh . I'm Aktar from India... I'm a instrumentation engineer.. Having 2 years experience in oil and gas ..is there any vacancy for me in your country?
Hey Greg I’m thinking about Pursuing a trade in Electronic Systems Technology. Thanks for the information. I was wondering what you think about someone who has little to no knowledge or experience going into trade school. I am interested and am good working with my hands, but frankly I just want something where I can have a stable career. Do you think you can go into trade school with little to no prior knowledge? Thanks in advance.
You will still be younger than 80% of the techs😂 i am the youngest electrical tech at my company by over 20 years lol. Regardless in my opinion there is no such thing as too old for anything. When i went to school for electrical power engineering technology (A.S.) we were all working adults with the average age around 30 i say go for it
I’m currently enrolled at iti taking a 16 month certificate program for instrumentation, I have 12 yrs of electrical exp, I was just wondering would it benefit me to go ahead and finish the certificate program or opt in for the 2yr associate degree
I don't know man I'm not really in a position to give advice on that.. I would assume that having the electrical experience plus certificate should be sufficient get you in the door for mid wage i&e jobs. Whether you get the certificate or the degree I wouldn't expect extremely high paying jobs until you get some years of instrumentation experience. Personally if I was you I'd go for the certificate first try to find a job see where you're at if you have to go back to school but I doubt it
That being said if the degree is not much longer than the certificate I would just get that anyways.. personally I enjoy going to school as long as you have the time to do it why not. Given that you have some electrical experience I don't see a big difference between the two
Dear sir am Instrumental and control engineering student of first year I want to talk with about my career option in USA please reply and give me one source to talk with you
I’m looking to build a career in this field. I have a 2 year electrical engineering degree and 10 years of electrical work in a manufacturing plant. Do you think I would be fit to apply?
If you want to shoot me a message on LinkedIn, I’ll help you find them. This might sound strange, but it’s actually kind of hard finding these jobs, they use a lot of different job titles. You always have to look at job descriptions.
i’m going to community college for an associates degree in electrical technology, I chose to go the technician path, is this the same job that you do? and my question is if there’s any kind of promotions involved? like if there are any other job titles you can work up to as a technician
That is most likely the same thing.. look at the courses you have do you have PLC or microprocessor classes? Industrial controls? Instrumentation or calibration? My degree is Electrical power technology in the engineering technology department. If so yes. As far as the career path there isn't much of one you're basically just a technician and you gain money as you get more skilled. Some people become engineer's but generally companies want you to get your bachelor's to do that.
@@gregroche7323 yes it’s a lot of controls, and goes over a lot of wiring and theory. Do technicians make a decent living? I’m just wondering because i will have the opportunity to get a bachelors degree in electrical technology engineering, but i don’t know if that’s what i want to do yet depending on the technician job
@@gregroche7323i would be interested to see what other inst techs use as far as inst specific tools.ike 475 or trex hart communicator. Types of different flukes.
Can you please explain what is about "Engineering" or "Electronics" in this field? I am just about to start my degree in Instrumentation. I can't really understand what is there to "engineer" within this domain. Thanks alot for your great content.@@gregroche7323
Hey! I'm close to graduate with my bachelor in Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology, do you know that fields I could fit into/job positions? I was thinking of something field engineer-associate engineer related but I'd appreciate your advise.
Congratulations with that degree you’re gonna have a lot of options… You may find landing the first job a little bit difficult but once you get some hands-on experience, you’ll have a great career. First and foremost. Figure out if there is any equipment in your degree that you’re really good with or something that really interest you and go in that direction. If I was you, I would try to get a job as an automation or controls engineer or possibly even a technician. When you start applying for jobs, you need to realize that the job title doesn’t mean that much. You have to read the job description in a lot of cases field service engineer, Instrumentation technician controls engineer, controlsTechnician are all the same job. I would search for something that’s going to give you a good hands-on experience to build your skill set with the degree that you have. If I was you, I would try to get an automation engineering or automation technician job, you can interchange the word automation with controls. It means the same thing also look at engineering roles. I don’t know how much you know about computer science if you wanna go into an IT route, you could do that as well in my opinion, the most enjoyable jobs are ones where you can fix stuff and make stuff better. I would try to avoid a desk job if you can get some hands-on experience for your first job and you’ll have a great career. Automation engineer, controls engineer, electrical engineer, electrical engineering technician, control specialist, Automation specialist, Instrumentation Technician controls technician, electrical technician, electronics technician. These are all job titles to look at. Last bit of advice don’t under sell yourself you’re qualified for an engineering role without experience but you’re not gonna get a high-paying engineering role maybe you’ll have to start out with a lower paying role (70-80k) experience is everything just focus on getting good experience
@gregroche7323 Wow! That is exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate your advice! I was offered a job as an Electrical Technician and Associate Engineer, but I will definitely do my research on Automation or Controls Engineer! Thank you for your time and new subscriber, btw!
@gregroche7323 The associate engineer is entry-level but still promising. I have one more semester before graduating, so I will check for other positions you suggested me and do my research. Thank you!
@Kevin.7. hey man just a little bit of advice for anyone that reads this thread... if the opportunity for experience presents itself while you're in school Jump On It. Sounds like you didn't do that and that's fine but maybe other people who are in school might need to hear that
It’s an instrumentation electrical job that I have an interview for at anhueser Busch. Do you have any advice or can help me prepare? I’m already an electrical technician/ maintenance technician
Well I missed this comment my bad… did you get the job? None of these companies seem to expect a whole lot imo. If you have questions ask them here or find me on LinkedIn
Good question basically the same thing.. every company is going to call the job something different I've been a instrumentation and electrical technician, senior instrumentationtechnician, & automation and electrical technician. They're all the same job basically, with the senior instrumentation technician role I just spent more of my time doing calibrations
@@gregroche7323 thanks for the reply. is there a lot of jobs advertised internally. Apparently there is demand for that where I live in Australia, but when I search for jobs online there aren't many advertised. I know u live in the U.S but might be the same in some aspects?
Yeah it's a bit weird because it's not really an established career path necessarily like an engineer or something... Really what they're looking for is someone who knows how to repair stuff that also knows physics and engineering and it's often called different titles. Try searching electrical technician PLC technician automation technician instrumentation technician Electronics technician and Industrial electrician. Also check out electro-mechanical technician and maintenance technician. The last three are technically different jobs but if you read the job description they might actually be looking for an instrumentation and control technician. I'm pretty sure companies don't even call it instrumentation and control anymore at least where I'm at instrumentation and electrical technician is much more common
hey guys... I am a technician in physics engineering (3 year degree). I work for a University in a chemical engineerimg departmemt. Im paid 35$/hour CAD in instrumentation and control. Is my salary low? oh and I have a Electrician certification as well...
I looked that up it's $25 US. I think there's a pretty wide range especially if you know how to troubleshoot controls and have a good understanding of automation. You may be a little underpaid but I would say if you enjoy your position stick around for a while until you really Master it.. depending on how many jobs are in your area I'm sure you can make more money if you wanted to though
I live in a relatively low paying area and generally the technician jobs are 35 and up per hour (U.S.) maybe some Canadians can shed some light but I'm going to assume they're going to say the same thing you might be a little underpaid
@@gregroche7323 you have to keep in mind that my cost of living is quite low. But I've applied on a 55$/h job as well. I have to say that my curent employer gives us really nice social advantages, like a retirement plan that they put 100% of my cotisation and invest them. So, if I pit 100$ they put a 100$ and they invest that 200$. plus, I can accumulate time to take half a day or a full day to spend with my familly.
@@gregroche7323 I've checked the market around and other techinican in my area starts a 24$/h CAD. like in the hospital of my town. I dont know, but I might keep the job until the economy get a bit better. Plus, I'm a the bottom of the pay ladder. the end is around 45.30$/hour.
Im going to college for instrumentation this fall. Is it something you can do while working full/part time? Thanks for the video its great information.
You're welcome that's a good question... you can totally work and get the degree the problem is there are not a lot of people that do this so as result there's not going to be many people in school. Not that many people in school means not that many choices for classes... the school I went to the first-year sometimes I had to take day classes sometimes I had to take night classes... my school schedule was all over the place. I got a part-time instrumentation internship (paid 19/hr in 2017) and I delivered pizzas at night LOL. I generally worked about 40 hours a week between my two part-time jobs and could support myself pretty comfortably. The last year of my schooling was more geared for people that were working full-time because most of us were by that time... my last year was almost all night classes. To answer your question yes you can absolutely work while you're in school but the scheduling might bring up a lot of conflicts... get ready to work hard long days and long nights but you'll get through it before you know it. I think it'd be pretty hard to hold down a nine-to-five job during the degree depending on your school schedule but if you're a waiter or something that'll be fine I wouldn't worry about it. I took three classes at a time and work full-time the whole time I was in college, it was pretty tough but it wasn't crazy I still had time for fortnite and a social life somehow
Just another tidbit in all the hundreds of comments that have gotten in my videos I've never heard of someone that couldn't get a job as an instrumentation technician I am almost certain that every person that gets a degree in this gets a good career
@@gregroche7323Okay that's really good news I just did a little fortnite dance haha. Was pretty worried but instrumentation is a pretty small field so the sample size is a bit small to get a full range of career paths seems like. Also do you do much PLC stuff? Part of what makes me interested in this is the robotics/automation aspect also. I make robots/drones with arduino in my spare time with Matlab/Simulink stuff.
@@gregroche7323That's really good to hear. The career people at my school said something similar, demand = very high in my area (Canada). Helps a lot with motivation when the odds are with ya if you get what I mean
@@cas343that's pretty tight yeah I'm pretty good with plc's Allen-Bradley only though, I got a few lines of code written in most the places I've worked.. I've done about a half-dozen automation projects at the Nestle factory in Cleveland and I was excited I was offered a pretty big automation project before I left... long story. I rewired and redesigned a lot of control panels at the water plant but most of the design work I did was just relay logic. I want to learn robotics I don't know it I just know ladder logic and a little bit of function block
Not sure if you're still reading these comments sir. But im about to get out of the Air force soon is there a good way i can ask you questions? Linkden or messenger?
I am an instrumentation technician, 35 years of service. A rewarding career. I have worked on various transmitters such as pressure, feedback controllers, valves, pneumatic transducers, vibration sensors, level transmitters, flame detectors, proximity switches, alarms, flow transmitters, temperature, key phasors, conveyor systems, solenoid valves, etc. It never ends.
I’m beginning my studies toward the electrical technology associate next month!
@@GolfMessiah2005 I currently work here, night shift. th-cam.com/video/Mn6m2MuJBCc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=GAHaElBjQEskiETb
Hey mate I’m considering getting into this line of work. Been a cabinet maker for about 10 years and looking to pursue something more technical and more future focused. Would you have any advice for someone looking to get a foot in the door?
@@Camouflage2770 look into EPRI instrumentation certification. Level 1 and Level 2. It's a class you can take and learn the trade.
@@rhomis what is a key phasor, never heard of that
I can agree with your video whole heartedly. I don't have much of the electrical background but I'm definetly getting my crash course as I go. One thing I was told when I was going to school was that I wouldn't be bending tube so it wasn't important to learn lol.... that was a joke. I spent my first year reading P&ID's and bending tube for building new separator packages( all new construction), and installing instruments for new construction (it was 70% new construction and 30% maintenance job). Now that I'm in a meter prover roll, I rarely bend tube (mostly to fix a small leak or retro fit something). It's an excellent trade to get into, just remember reality is far different form exception and these day I spend most my time with my dog and myself on my own schedule (with deadlines).
Thanks for this video. My father-in-law just offered me a I&E job, $22/hr w/ $125 per diem, said I'll start as a helper. Pretty exciting stuff, never did anything like it before. I've worked in tech for Microsoft for the last 7 years, so I have no idea what to expect until I watched this. I just couldn't say no tho, 9k/mo as a helper is insane money to me, life changing. I honestly want to make this my lifelong career the more I learn about it.
Congratulations that's awesome
A little tip not sure if you want it.. if you're looking for stuff to study I would start with physics. Obviously electrical theory and just understanding different types of devices is very important but if you understand physics is it comes up with liquid processes torque Force pressure things like that it'll help you understand what's happening a lot better
@@gregroche7323 wow thank you very much! will do
Just subscribed man! Finished all my degree prerequisite classes now I’ll be taking my instrumentation classes, to finish the degree. Looking forward to the career.
As someone who may be starting very shortly in this field, this video helped calm my new job jitters. I'm good at learning on the job and troubleshooting. I keep hearing that's really the bulk of it, which makes me breathe so much easier!
Yeah that's pretty much it.. it's going to take a little bit to be good at your job just be really careful around electricity. Remember you're probably expecting a lot more from yourself than anyone else is expecting from you.
On a serious note try to stay calm and don't let yourself get frustrated.... That's when accidents happen. Anytime you're dealing with live electricity move really slow make calculated movements and decisions good luck
Hey Greg! I was at Palm Beach State College last night for the annual Graduation projects / Career Day, and your name came up.
I like your page, there's good info here.
Hope you're doing well and enjoying life. I love this field, and look forward to seeing a new group of interns very soon. You are one of our success stories, it makes me very proud of what you and everal others have accomplished. If you remember Dan Hooks, he is working at the Belle Glade Water plant, and Griffin McDonald is a tech at Southern Region. Zachary, another intern is working at Covanta in an Instrument Tech/Electrician role.
Keep up the great work!
Oh dang it this is Vinny lol I thought you were student. How are you Vinny good to hear from you are you still working in Belle Glade?
Also, I’ve kind of stayed in touch with Zach. I think he’s doing very well. It’s really nice to hear from you.
Bro thank you for this content. I think your the only person putting this stuff out in America. Not a lot of people even know about instrumentation! I’m about to get into my last year and your videos are super insightful and encouraging man! Have you ever worked in the oil refineries? That’s where I want to take my instrumentation.
No I haven't I wish viewers would read the comments more I know a lot of my viewers work in refineries.. my understanding is it can be hard work but the pay is outrageous
Same here bro
I’m at Exxon in Houston rn. They’re starting out at $43/hr rn for my instrument techs just out of the local college, my operators are only at $25-$30
@@WockyXSlushwhich college?
You do realize that there are I&C jobs outside of the oilfield, right? Too many put so much weight in that.
Great breakdown of how your experience of the job was for you. Good insight for people trying to decide if the industry is right for them.
I just started my instrumentation and Electrical certificate this year cant wait to get in the field it honestly sounds perfect, been doing this type of trouble shooting and fixing for a while from tvs to projectors and more.
thank you for the information i start school for this on the 3rd and im ready but kinda nervous but thank you bro
Nice have fun.. good luck
Thank you. This makes me feel a little more at ease
@@no_one_from_nowhere No problem what’s your situation? Are you in school?
@ I’m on my final 2 classes right now and then I graduate. I’ve been feeling a bit nervous about how this is going to go, but honestly I really love my motors and controls class I’m in right now and I’d be happy doing it for the rest of my life. Being a Technician for a factory doesnt sound too bad.
@@no_one_from_nowhere yea its a chill job honestly, some places are super slow borderline boring. I would start applying if i were you… im happy to coach tou thru the process if you want its a hobby of mine you can find me on LinkedIn with any questions
Thanks bro, was waiting for your videos regarding Instrumentation and finally. Good man thanks👍🏾💯
@smithsoloman2020 I got a few buddy from the last couple months.. I was thinking the next video is going to be what's it like working second shift followed by why I chose to be a technician rather than an engineer. Thoughts
Always straight to the point you definitely gotta sub bro💪🏾💪🏾
I got the job. Scored 75 on a hundred question multiple choice test. Passing score is 70. Today was my first day. I spent most of the time touring the wastewater plant and meeting people. Then a little time prioritizing certifications and testing. Managed to get some studying in also. Thanks for the tips on my last comment. It helped tremendously.
Let's freaking go man that makes my day
Add me on LinkedIn I live in Cleveland Ohio... if you ever have any technical questions just shoot me a message on there I can help you out
If you want to put your knowledge to the test, become a programmer. PLC, HMI, SCADA systems will require you to know schematics, installation, testing, Design, programming and teaching technicians your design or program. Many of my control techs came from a maintenance background after learning a little bit about controls only. One of them cant even read ladder but he understands the machine sequences so well over time that he uses his memory to help him troubleshoot
Interesting Insight I appreciate the comment. I'm kind of like at that sweet spot where I'm sort of qualified to be an engineer but not really I'm currently actually working as an operator with a lot of controls work in our operations and I do enjoy my job.. there are Engineers there though you never know what the future holds
I came from 12 years of maintenance on the same machines. I know their personalities, so to speak. I am so happy to finally be able to look at and fix when these huge machines just..."ok it's not supposed to do that, and we can't fix that so call controls team." The logic is just number hopping for me because I already know how the machine acts in real life with specific instructions as opposed to just some lines and numbers.
Building a Cause and Effect…lots of liability if you’re the one writing it💯
great content, thanks
first fully-fledged channel about instrumentation
Hello, I'm a sophomore in high school and I'm looking to robotics and Elec Automation in Trade School (with a goal of being an I&E TECH), and i was hoping to get some pointers on what to research and buy to get started
First off, experience is everything. You're very fortunate to know what you want to do at such a young age, I would suggest putting in the work now... it will pay off big time later. Most of controls work his troubleshooting circuits and understanding how different controllers work. Troubleshoot and build controls circuits, learn about Rockwell automation products those are most common in the field. Siemens is a plus (I don't know Siemens). Learn Robotics also. I think Robotics are going to very important. Fanuc robots are becoming more and more common. If you can get a engineering degree I would.. if you get good enough with the equipment you DO NOT need a bachelor's to be an engineer but it does help. If you have the ability get an Allen Bradley plc and a test bench and build stuff. Join a mechatronics club or competition. Learn about IT, network technology and architecture. You don't need a super deep understanding of all these topics, but if you have a basic understanding, it'll take you a long way.
I would suggest figuring out what school program you're going to go to now. All the thingsI just mentioned are really extra things that will pay off in the end you don't need to do all of it. I would suggest getting at least an associate's degree. It all depends on your family's financial situation but if you can get a bachelor's degree I would go for it. Look at schools figure out what degrees sound good & reach out to the professors or program chairs in the department and ask what type of career placement and clubs they have. If you are ambitious over the next few years you'll have a very successful life
I'm a Instrumention technician in Brasil, work in a gas companny and some days it's exactly like you said.
Sounds easier than being an Automotive Technician. I do a lot of electrical Diagnostics and tearing down engines or removing dashes in vehicle. I get paid 23-26 per hour but it's a grind being commission based. I'm trying to get out of the auto industry and find something stable (for me). But this is a good insight from ones experience
If you have that experience you can most likely get a job as an industrial maintenance tech and over time start shifting into instrumentation. You most likely will have to get qm associates but not neccesarily woth the right experience. Industrial maintenance tech is similar; a lot of the skills transfer you would just need to learn on the job. Most mtechs start 25-35 an hour
To make the shift you need to learn about three phase power physics different types of instruments plc's industrial control systems and have some experience with how industrial things are set up and safety stuff at cetera. It's a similar skill-set but everything looks completely different
@@gregroche7323 I'm currently going over ITI Institution classes and I have been watching videos on all the classes available and I am wanting a good schedule. and Instrument & Control Systems Tech seems to be more of what i enjoy, and that's Diagnostics. It's a 2 yr Degree but out of all the videos I've watched this field speaks the loudest.
@@doogeerugged89 yeah I would recommend it 100% I enjoy it very high demand for technicians
im a self taught programmer , i cant get not tech job at the moment how easy should it be to transfer to a field like this ?@@gregroche7323
What schooling did you go to where they taught specifically instrumentation?? I’ve worked for 3 years as an industrial electrician apprentice and want to get a job as an I and E eventually except I don’t know how to get trained or schooled for instrumentation.
That's a good question the fact that you have some electrician experience is going to put you away ahead of people with no experience that's part of the job. There's a pretty wide range of job titles that I consider instrumentation, instrumentation and electrical technician controls technician automation technician Etc. Generally speaking there's not really degrees called instrumentation that usually falls under electrical engineering technology or something like that. If you can find a engineering or mechatronics or automation certificate I think that would get you qualified enough to get land the job. I would look into different programs at community colleges by you you got to read the descriptions to see
My degree is Electrical Power Technology in the engineering technology program at palm Beach state college
@@gregroche7323associates degree?
Good morning sir, I’m Raul Escamilla, hey I just got a job with BLS oil services out of Texas, I&E level 3 apprentice, and I love it, and I’d love to talk about it sometime ,
Yeah bro reach out to me on LinkedIn it's a little bit more private. You can just search Greg Roche Cleveland
thank you
How strict is the PM schedule? Are you allowed to push something to the next day if you cannot get to it during your current shift?
I don’t know it all depends on where you work usually you can. Some places have a lot of emergency repairs and some places it’s almost none. It just depends on the company no matter where you’re at. You’re gonna prioritize your duties and usually it’s pretty lenient in my experience. So yeah generally it doesn’t matter if you get PMs done on time if other things are going on, calibrations have a more rigid due daye. Depending on what you are calibrating some things will shit diwn production if they aren’t done on time I.E. toxic gas detectors, thermocouples in food production stuff like that. In my opinion, that’s one of the benefits of finding a job where there is a wide variety it never really gets old
would you be able to add video footage of you working on the job or like pictures of what your enviroment looks like?
I feel you bro the title is slightly misleading.. I'll plan on making another day in the life video and I'll pull pictures off Google images that look very similar to what I've done or maybe even put on some of the wiring that I've done in the past that previous jobs you really can't videotape stuff inside of factories water plants and research centers
Those are the 3 atmospheres Ive worked in... they are all considerably different from one another but the equipment is the same
Im about to go to a meeting about this job E&I technician 3
Nice O hope you get it
Christ bless you, thank you for this insight it is very useful
Right now calibration of light andcsound speed and ratio change base on ether accessory for instrumentation can make quick money for longer aim later..i had seen light medicine by programing water as medicine. I thought you got million dollars instead of award
I am a 18 year old and I am the Instrument Techs helper right now. I have already learned how to calibrate all the transmitters, level switches, and currently testing all the instruments if they turn on, on the skits. Should I take a online course to get certified after this job is finished or go to in person school??
Sounds like you're in Canada. Go for power plant. Much more important than oil production.
@@ElectricBuckeyewhat about America should I go for oil?
Hey broh .
I'm Aktar from India...
I'm a instrumentation engineer..
Having 2 years experience in oil and gas ..is there any vacancy for me in your country?
Hey Greg I’m thinking about Pursuing a trade in Electronic Systems Technology. Thanks for the information.
I was wondering what you think about someone who has little to no knowledge or experience going into trade school. I am interested and am good working with my hands, but frankly I just want something where I can have a stable career. Do you think you can go into trade school with little to no prior knowledge? Thanks in advance.
Yea you can definitely do that. All these degrees start from scratch.
The volume is not coming out
Im about to turn 39 years old and im really interested on becoming a instrumentation tech. Do you think that im to old or is there a chance for me!?
You will still be younger than 80% of the techs😂 i am the youngest electrical tech at my company by over 20 years lol. Regardless in my opinion there is no such thing as too old for anything. When i went to school for electrical power engineering technology (A.S.) we were all working adults with the average age around 30 i say go for it
@gregroche7323 wow!! Thanks for the advice!! I really appreciate it!!
I enjoy your content and it's really easy to understand!!
😎🤙🏻
I’m currently enrolled at iti taking a 16 month certificate program for instrumentation, I have 12 yrs of electrical exp, I was just wondering would it benefit me to go ahead and finish the certificate program or opt in for the 2yr associate degree
I don't know man I'm not really in a position to give advice on that.. I would assume that having the electrical experience plus certificate should be sufficient get you in the door for mid wage i&e jobs. Whether you get the certificate or the degree I wouldn't expect extremely high paying jobs until you get some years of instrumentation experience. Personally if I was you I'd go for the certificate first try to find a job see where you're at if you have to go back to school but I doubt it
That being said if the degree is not much longer than the certificate I would just get that anyways.. personally I enjoy going to school as long as you have the time to do it why not. Given that you have some electrical experience I don't see a big difference between the two
I just get my degree any advices?
You need to throw in a Parody of a Commissioning Tech
Dear sir am Instrumental and control engineering student of first year I want to talk with about my career option in USA please reply and give me one source to talk with you
I’m looking to build a career in this field. I have a 2 year electrical engineering degree and 10 years of electrical work in a manufacturing plant. Do you think I would be fit to apply?
Yeah, what state are you in? I bet you could get like 10 job offers
If you want to shoot me a message on LinkedIn, I’ll help you find them. This might sound strange, but it’s actually kind of hard finding these jobs, they use a lot of different job titles. You always have to look at job descriptions.
Same work troubleshooting fault finding.
i’m going to community college for an associates degree in electrical technology, I chose to go the technician path, is this the same job that you do? and my question is if there’s any kind of promotions involved? like if there are any other job titles you can work up to as a technician
That is most likely the same thing.. look at the courses you have do you have PLC or microprocessor classes? Industrial controls? Instrumentation or calibration? My degree is Electrical power technology in the engineering technology department. If so yes. As far as the career path there isn't much of one you're basically just a technician and you gain money as you get more skilled. Some people become engineer's but generally companies want you to get your bachelor's to do that.
@@gregroche7323 yes it’s a lot of controls, and goes over a lot of wiring and theory. Do technicians make a decent living? I’m just wondering because i will have the opportunity to get a bachelors degree in electrical technology engineering, but i don’t know if that’s what i want to do yet depending on the technician job
Hi broo iam also instrumentation
how come you don't make more content?
I've been trying to stay consistent I got like 15 videos or so I just posted one
You got any ideas for videos
@@gregroche7323i would be interested to see what other inst techs use as far as inst specific tools.ike 475 or trex hart communicator. Types of different flukes.
Can you please explain what is about "Engineering" or "Electronics" in this field? I am just about to start my degree in Instrumentation. I can't really understand what is there to "engineer" within this domain.
Thanks alot for your great content.@@gregroche7323
Hey! I'm close to graduate with my bachelor in Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology, do you know that fields I could fit into/job positions? I was thinking of something field engineer-associate engineer related but I'd appreciate your advise.
Congratulations with that degree you’re gonna have a lot of options… You may find landing the first job a little bit difficult but once you get some hands-on experience, you’ll have a great career. First and foremost. Figure out if there is any equipment in your degree that you’re really good with or something that really interest you and go in that direction. If I was you, I would try to get a job as an automation or controls engineer or possibly even a technician. When you start applying for jobs, you need to realize that the job title doesn’t mean that much. You have to read the job description in a lot of cases field service engineer, Instrumentation technician controls engineer, controlsTechnician are all the same job. I would search for something that’s going to give you a good hands-on experience to build your skill set with the degree that you have. If I was you, I would try to get an automation engineering or automation technician job, you can interchange the word automation with controls. It means the same thing also look at engineering roles. I don’t know how much you know about computer science if you wanna go into an IT route, you could do that as well in my opinion, the most enjoyable jobs are ones where you can fix stuff and make stuff better. I would try to avoid a desk job if you can get some hands-on experience for your first job and you’ll have a great career. Automation engineer, controls engineer, electrical engineer, electrical engineering technician, control specialist, Automation specialist, Instrumentation Technician controls technician, electrical technician, electronics technician. These are all job titles to look at.
Last bit of advice don’t under sell yourself you’re qualified for an engineering role without experience but you’re not gonna get a high-paying engineering role maybe you’ll have to start out with a lower paying role (70-80k) experience is everything just focus on getting good experience
@gregroche7323 Wow! That is exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate your advice!
I was offered a job as an Electrical Technician and Associate Engineer, but I will definitely do my research on Automation or Controls Engineer!
Thank you for your time and new subscriber, btw!
@@Kevin.7.Junior Engineers roles don't come up super often maybe you should jump on that one I would probably
@gregroche7323 The associate engineer is entry-level but still promising. I have one more semester before graduating, so I will check for other positions you suggested me and do my research. Thank you!
@Kevin.7. hey man just a little bit of advice for anyone that reads this thread... if the opportunity for experience presents itself while you're in school Jump On It. Sounds like you didn't do that and that's fine but maybe other people who are in school might need to hear that
It’s an instrumentation electrical job that I have an interview for at anhueser Busch. Do you have any advice or can help me prepare? I’m already an electrical technician/ maintenance technician
Well I missed this comment my bad… did you get the job? None of these companies seem to expect a whole lot imo. If you have questions ask them here or find me on LinkedIn
did you get the job?
90% don't reply let's just assume he got the job
Whats the difference between electrical instrumebtation and instrumention and control technitian
Good question basically the same thing.. every company is going to call the job something different I've been a instrumentation and electrical technician, senior instrumentationtechnician, & automation and electrical technician. They're all the same job basically, with the senior instrumentation technician role I just spent more of my time doing calibrations
@@gregroche7323 thanks for the reply. is there a lot of jobs advertised internally. Apparently there is demand for that where I live in Australia, but when I search for jobs online there aren't many advertised. I know u live in the U.S but might be the same in some aspects?
Yeah it's a bit weird because it's not really an established career path necessarily like an engineer or something... Really what they're looking for is someone who knows how to repair stuff that also knows physics and engineering and it's often called different titles. Try searching electrical technician PLC technician automation technician instrumentation technician Electronics technician and Industrial electrician. Also check out electro-mechanical technician and maintenance technician. The last three are technically different jobs but if you read the job description they might actually be looking for an instrumentation and control technician. I'm pretty sure companies don't even call it instrumentation and control anymore at least where I'm at instrumentation and electrical technician is much more common
@@gregroche7323 appreciate the feedback. 👍
hey guys... I am a technician in physics engineering (3 year degree). I work for a University in a chemical engineerimg departmemt. Im paid 35$/hour CAD in instrumentation and control. Is my salary low? oh and I have a Electrician certification as well...
I looked that up it's $25 US. I think there's a pretty wide range especially if you know how to troubleshoot controls and have a good understanding of automation. You may be a little underpaid but I would say if you enjoy your position stick around for a while until you really Master it.. depending on how many jobs are in your area I'm sure you can make more money if you wanted to though
I live in a relatively low paying area and generally the technician jobs are 35 and up per hour (U.S.) maybe some Canadians can shed some light but I'm going to assume they're going to say the same thing you might be a little underpaid
@@gregroche7323 you have to keep in mind that my cost of living is quite low. But I've applied on a 55$/h job as well. I have to say that my curent employer gives us really nice social advantages, like a retirement plan that they put 100% of my cotisation and invest them. So, if I pit 100$ they put a 100$ and they invest that 200$. plus, I can accumulate time to take half a day or a full day to spend with my familly.
@@gregroche7323 I've checked the market around and other techinican in my area starts a 24$/h CAD. like in the hospital of my town. I dont know, but I might keep the job until the economy get a bit better. Plus, I'm a the bottom of the pay ladder. the end is around 45.30$/hour.
Im going to college for instrumentation this fall. Is it something you can do while working full/part time? Thanks for the video its great information.
You're welcome that's a good question... you can totally work and get the degree the problem is there are not a lot of people that do this so as result there's not going to be many people in school. Not that many people in school means not that many choices for classes... the school I went to the first-year sometimes I had to take day classes sometimes I had to take night classes... my school schedule was all over the place. I got a part-time instrumentation internship (paid 19/hr in 2017) and I delivered pizzas at night LOL. I generally worked about 40 hours a week between my two part-time jobs and could support myself pretty comfortably. The last year of my schooling was more geared for people that were working full-time because most of us were by that time... my last year was almost all night classes.
To answer your question yes you can absolutely work while you're in school but the scheduling might bring up a lot of conflicts... get ready to work hard long days and long nights but you'll get through it before you know it. I think it'd be pretty hard to hold down a nine-to-five job during the degree depending on your school schedule but if you're a waiter or something that'll be fine I wouldn't worry about it. I took three classes at a time and work full-time the whole time I was in college, it was pretty tough but it wasn't crazy I still had time for fortnite and a social life somehow
Just another tidbit in all the hundreds of comments that have gotten in my videos I've never heard of someone that couldn't get a job as an instrumentation technician I am almost certain that every person that gets a degree in this gets a good career
@@gregroche7323Okay that's really good news I just did a little fortnite dance haha.
Was pretty worried but instrumentation is a pretty small field so the sample size is a bit small to get a full range of career paths seems like.
Also do you do much PLC stuff? Part of what makes me interested in this is the robotics/automation aspect also. I make robots/drones with arduino in my spare time with Matlab/Simulink stuff.
@@gregroche7323That's really good to hear. The career people at my school said something similar, demand = very high in my area (Canada). Helps a lot with motivation when the odds are with ya if you get what I mean
@@cas343that's pretty tight yeah I'm pretty good with plc's Allen-Bradley only though, I got a few lines of code written in most the places I've worked.. I've done about a half-dozen automation projects at the Nestle factory in Cleveland and I was excited I was offered a pretty big automation project before I left... long story. I rewired and redesigned a lot of control panels at the water plant but most of the design work I did was just relay logic. I want to learn robotics I don't know it I just know ladder logic and a little bit of function block
Is a electrical technician the same thing as a electrician ??
Not the same electrical technician really covers more control stuff where electrical is more power distribution
Not sure if you're still reading these comments sir. But im about to get out of the Air force soon is there a good way i can ask you questions? Linkden or messenger?
Yeah, if you just search Greg roach Cleveland or automation I’ll pop right up on LinkedIn. I’m happy to chat