PLC Programmer job description, written by automation engineers
A copy-ready PLC programmer job description for India, with the salary band, the screening questions that separate hands-on engineers from keyword CVs, and the mistakes that fill your inbox with the wrong people. A PLC programmer writes, tests and maintains the controller logic that runs a machine or process. The job is defined by the platform: a Siemens programmer and a Rockwell programmer are not interchangeable, so the first decision in this JD is which family you need.
PLC Programmer job description template
Job title
PLC Programmer — [platform family] · [city / site]
About the role
We are hiring a PLC Programmer to develop and test control logic on [Siemens S7-1500 with TIA Portal / Rockwell ControlLogix with Studio 5000 — choose one] for [machine type / process], from functional specification through FAT, with site support during commissioning.
What you will do
- Develop PLC programs from the functional design specification, to our coding and tag-naming standard
- Build reusable blocks and data structures instead of copying logic per device
- Configure the controller hardware, I/O and network (PROFINET / EtherNet/IP)
- Test logic in simulation, then at FAT with the customer
- Support site commissioning and fault-finding; keep versions and backups under control
- Document the program, alarm list and changes
What you must have
- [2–6] years of PLC programming on [the named family] — ask for the engineering software version used
- IEC 61131-3 languages: ladder plus structured text or function block
- Real network configuration — device naming on PROFINET, or EtherNet/IP adapters
- At least one programme taken from specification to running machine
- B.E./B.Tech or Diploma in Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation or Mechatronics
Good to have
- HMI development on the same family (WinCC or FactoryTalk View)
- Fail-safe programming — and the acceptance test that went with it
- Motion and drives integration
- Version control on PLC projects
Salary band (India, 2026)
- Entry · 0–2 yrs: ₹2–4.5 L a year
- Mid · 3–6 yrs: ₹5–9 L a year
- Senior · 7 yrs+: ₹10–16 L a year
Questions that separate real experience from a listed skill
Which TIA Portal version did you work in?
On the S7-1200 it dates the experience: the new S7-1200 G2 needs TIA Portal V20 or later, so an older version means first-generation hardware only.
When you add a new device to the network, what changes — the data block or the program?
Engineers who write generic, reusable blocks change data only. Engineers who copy the vendor example change code for every device.
On your Modbus RTU line, what happens to the other devices when one is switched off?
Real answers name the response timeout and describe the whole line slowing, one device polled at a time. Pretenders stop at “it shows an error”.
These are the lines our engineers listen for when we screen for client mandates. See how TVP screens a candidate end to end.
Three mistakes that attract the wrong CVs
- “PLC programmer — any make”. It reads as no requirement. Name the family; accept a second as a plus.
- Old product names only. Write the current name with the old one in brackets — Studio 5000 (RSLogix 5000), Control Expert (Unity Pro), AVEVA InTouch (Wonderware) — so both generations of CV match.
- Mixing control and safety. A fail-safe or SIS requirement is its own competency; list it separately and say what proof you expect.
More templates: Automation Engineer job description · Instrumentation Engineer job description · all automation job description templates.
PLC Programmer — questions answered
What does a PLC programmer do?
A PLC programmer writes, tests and maintains the controller logic that runs a machine or process. The job is defined by the platform: a Siemens programmer and a Rockwell programmer are not interchangeable, so the first decision in this JD is which family you need.
What is the salary of a PLC programmer in India?
Indicatively ₹2–4.5 L a year at entry, ₹5–9 L at 3–6 years and ₹10–16 L at senior level — about ₹42k–₹75k gross a month in the middle band.
Hiring a PLC programmer? Post the role on the TVP portal.
Paste this description into a new requirement. Every candidate you see has passed engineer-led screening on questions like the ones above, and you decide who to interview.