The direction of industrial automation PLC (programmable logic controller) is a relatively stable field with continued growth in demand. It is not “dangerous”, but it does have some industry characteristics that need to be understood.
In terms of the current status and prospects of the industry, the advantages are very obvious.
First, the demand is stable. With the upgrading of manufacturing industry and the advancement of intelligent manufacturing, PLC, as the core of industrial automation, has long-term demand for talents.
Whether it is traditional factories or emerging fields such as new energy, semiconductors, and logistics automation, they are all inseparable from the application of PLC, and its application range is extremely wide.
Moreover, this field has certain technical barriers. It requires knowledge of mechatronics, not pure software, and has certain professional thresholds. This also builds a better career moat for practitioners.
In terms of salary, experienced engineers earn an upper-middle income, and they become more popular as they get older.
However, there are also aspects that need attention in this field.
The working environment may not be ideal. Practitioners may need to enter factories and workshops, and sometimes travel to debug equipment. The environment is not as comfortable as a pure office.
The learning curve is steep and requires mastering multi-disciplinary knowledge in electrical, mechanical, and programming (ladder diagram, ST language, etc.), making it difficult to get started.
In addition, although the foundation of PLC is stable, new trends such as Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet, and edge computing are also changing this field, and practitioners need to continue to learn.
For those who are considering this direction, there are the following development suggestions.
First of all, we must lay a solid foundation, including electrical basics, automatic control principles, and PLC programming (mainstream brands such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, and Omron).
Secondly, we must expand our boundaries and learn HMI (human machine interface), servo systems, industrial robots, and industrial communications (Profinet, EtherCAT, etc.).
Finally, we must pay attention to trends, understand digital factories, MES systems, and industrial Internet of Things, and develop into “automation + informatization” compound talents.
In short, this is not a “dangerous” direction, but a pragmatic technical position with long-term value.
If you like to do things with your hands, solve practical problems, and are not averse to industrial environments, this is a good choice.
As you gain experience, you can develop into a technical expert, project manager, or solutions architect.
Whether you are a student considering a professional direction or an employee looking to transition, you can find a development path that suits you in this field based on your own circumstances.
