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Instrument Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

DevOps engineer

Richmond, VA ยท On-site

$52.25 - $71.50/hr

Instrument agents for on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments to enable comprehensive monitoring ... Collaboration: Work with development, SRE, and DevOps teams to integrate observability best ...

DevOps Engineer - Lead

Richmond, VA ยท On-site

$52.25 - $71.50/hr

... Engineer - Lead Location: Plano, TX 75024 | Richmond, VA 23238 (Hybrid) Duration: 12+ Months ... Instrument applications, infrastructure, and services to collect telemetry data using frameworks ...

The ideal candidate has knowledge of the principles of land surveying, and basic principles of civil engineering specifically relating to construction processes. This job puts you where the action is ...

Preparing a variety of metrology directives, including Instrument Calibration Procedures (ICP), Metrology Drafting Engineering Reports, Quality Manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

JAVA Developer

Chantilly, VA ยท On-site

$52.25 - $67.50/hr

... engineer to support the Chantilly, VA medical laboratory. The primary responsibility is to design and code instrument interfaces that automate communication between laboratory instruments and our ...

Showing results 41-60

Instrument Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

$12.4K

$104K

$162.6K

How much do instrument engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for instrument engineer in Virginia is $103,996.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $76,800.00 and $130,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an instrument engineer do?

As an instrument engineer, your job is to design and build mechanical and electronic instruments for your employer. Most instruments are purpose-built to accomplish specific objectives, such as measuring the presence of particular chemicals or the pressure within pipes. Fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of an instrument engineer often requires creativity, flexibility, and the ability to coordinate with other engineers. You may also need to manage supplies, test instruments, or work overtime as needed to develop better instruments. This job title refers exclusively to designing and building instruments that measure or control processes and should not be confused with jobs that design and create musical instruments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an instrument engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Instrument Engineer, you need a solid background in instrumentation, control systems, and process automation, often supported by a degree in engineering and relevant industry experience. Familiarity with tools like PLCs, DCS, SCADA systems, and certifications such as ISA CAP or equivalent are typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help you excel in designing, maintaining, and troubleshooting complex systems. These competencies are vital for ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of industrial operations.

What are some common challenges instrument engineers face when working on multidisciplinary project teams?

Instrument Engineers often collaborate with process, electrical, and mechanical engineers, which can present challenges in aligning technical requirements and project timelines. Integrating instrumentation with complex systems requires clear communication to ensure proper data flow and control functionality. Adapting to evolving project specifications and troubleshooting issues during commissioning are also common, making flexibility and problem-solving skills essential. Building strong relationships with colleagues across disciplines helps streamline the process and achieve project goals efficiently.

Are instrument engineers in demand?

Instrument engineers are in demand in industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, and power generation, where they design, install, and maintain control systems and instrumentation. The profession requires technical skills, certifications, and knowledge of automation tools, and job opportunities are expected to grow with ongoing infrastructure and technological development.

What is the difference between Instrument Engineer vs Control Systems Engineer?

AspectInstrument EngineerControl Systems Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Electrical, Mechanical, or Instrumentation Engineering; certifications like Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST)Bachelor's in Electrical, Mechanical, or Control Engineering; similar certifications in control systems
Work EnvironmentOil & gas, manufacturing, chemical plants, focusing on instrumentation and process controlAutomation, manufacturing, power plants, focusing on control system design and integration
Employer & Industry UsageIndustries requiring precise instrumentation for process controlIndustries implementing automation and control system solutions

Both roles involve engineering expertise in process control, but Instrument Engineers focus on selecting, installing, and maintaining instrumentation devices, while Control Systems Engineers design and optimize control algorithms and systems. They often collaborate but serve different technical functions within industrial settings.

What are the most commonly searched types of Instrument Engineer jobs in Virginia?

The most popular types of Instrument Engineer jobs in Virginia are:

Infographic showing various Instrument Engineer job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $103,996 per year, or $50 per hour.

DevOps engineer

MM International

Richmond, VA โ€ข On-site

$52.25 - $71.50/hr

Contractor

Re-posted 6 days ago


Job description

Role: DevOps engineer

Location : Richmond , VA - Hybrid

Duration: 12+ months

Need more of SRE background, good with python scripting, AWS and Datadog and worked towards production support or incident support – mandatory skills.  Ex capital one is mandate.


Key Responsibilities:

  • Implement and manage full-stack observability using Datadog, ensuring seamless monitoring across infrastructure, applications, and services.
  • Instrument agents for on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments to enable comprehensive monitoring.
  • Design and deploy key service monitoring, including dashboards, monitor creation, SLA/SLO definitions, and anomaly detection with alert notifications.
  • Configure and integrate Datadog with third-party services such as ServiceNow, SSO enablement, and other ITSM tools.

Core Responsibilities:

  • Design & Implement Solutions: Build and maintain comprehensive observability platforms that provide deep insights into complex systems, incorporating logs, metrics, and traces.
  • System Instrumentation: Instrument applications, infrastructure, and services to collect telemetry data using frameworks like OpenTelemetry.
  • Data Analysis & Visualization: Develop dashboards, reports, and alerts using tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and Splunk to visualize system performance and detect issues.
  • Collaboration: Work with development, SRE, and DevOps teams to integrate observability best practices and align monitoring with business and operational goals.
  • Automation: Develop scripts and use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Ansible and Terraform to automate monitoring configurations and telemetry collection.

Key Skills & Tools:

  • Observability Tools: Proficiency in monitoring, logging, and tracing tools, including Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Splunk, Datadog, New Relic, and cloud-native solutions like AWS CloudWatch.
  • Programming Languages: Expertise in languages such as Python and Go for scripting and automation.
  • Infrastructure & Cloud Platforms: Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and container orchestration systems like Kubernetes.
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Familiarity with Terraform and Ansible for managing infrastructure and configurations.
  • CI/CD & Automation: Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation tools like Jenkins.
  • System & Software Engineering: A strong background in both system operations and software development.
  • Optimize cloud agent instrumentation, with cloud certifications being a plus.
  • Datadog Fundamental, APM and Distributed Tracing Fundamentals & Datadog Demo Certification (Mandatory)
  • Strong understanding of Observability concepts (Logs, Metrics, Tracing)
  • Expertise in security & vulnerability management in observability
  • Possesses 2 years of experience in cloud-based observability solutions, specializing in monitoring, logging, and tracing across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.