The Average Salary of Instrumentation

© 2012 by Aurelio Locsin.

Instrumentation refers to the production of devices used for navigation, measuring, medicinal electronics and controlling processes. This industry had 406,390 employees earning a mean $33.40 per hour or $69,460 per year as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Legal occupations showed the highest paid occupations for instrumentation as of May 2011, according to the BLS. Average wages ran $66.69 per hour or $139,330 per year. The lawyers who protected patents, helped with labor contract negotiations and examined supplier agreements earned the highest means of $80.65 per hour or $167,760 per year. The paralegals and legal assistants who helped lawyers by handling clerical and research tasks made a mean $30.45 per hour or $63,330 per year. (REFERENCE 1, for job descriptions, click on job titles in the table)

Management professionals are ultimately responsible for the success of their departments and organizations. They develop goals, create strategies for reaching those goals and hire the staff to carry out the strategies. In 2011, they averaged the second highest pay category at $63.83 per hour or $132,760 per year. The highest pay belonged to chief executives who helm corporations and ware answerable only to boards of directors and shareholders. They averaged $98.03 per hour or $203,900 per year in 2011. The lowest wages belonged to construction managers who build, maintain and repair instrumentation facilities. They received $46.69 per hour or $97,120 in 2011.

Food preparation occupations had the lowest pay followed by building and ground cleaning and maintenance. In 2011, the former showed averages of $13.89 per hour or $28,890 per year, while the latter’s wages ran $15.19 per hour or $31,590 per year. Because of the low number of workers, the food preparation categories were not detailed into separate job titles. However in building maintenance, the most pay belonged to the supervisors who made sure facilities were maintained and cleaned efficiently and within budget. They earned a mean $25.70 per hour or $53,450 per year. The lowest paying jobs in this category belonged to janitors, maids and other interior cleaners. They averaged $14.70 per hour or $30,570 per year.

Production held the most jobs with 109,000 positions averaging $17.42 per hour or $36,230 per year in 2011. The highest salaries belonged to the operators of stationery engines, boilers and mechanical equipment that provided utilities for instrumentation facilities. They averaged a mean $25.87 per hour or $53,800 per year. Supervisors who coordinated production activities earned a mean $30.23 per hour or $62,880 per year. The lowest salaries were for operators of machines that extruded metals and plastics into tubes, rods and other structural shapes. They received a mean $16.40 per hour or $34,120 per year.