We recruit Ignition engineers for systems integrators and manufacturers across North America, on retained, contingency and contract terms. That covers SCADA, HMI and MES developers, Ignition project leads and architects, and controls engineers who pair Ignition with Rockwell or Siemens PLCs.
Ignition has gone from the challenger to one of the platforms our integrator clients ask for most. Inductive Automation says it now runs in more than 140 countries, at 69% of the Fortune 100 and 54% of the Fortune 500, with more than 3,500 gateways in commercial data centers and more than 1,600 water and wastewater facilities using it as their SCADA. Its integrator program has passed 5,500 firms. Ignition was the hardest skill to find in nearly every client call Jon had in the summer of 2026, and one East Coast integrator was told a key customer would give them a lot more work once they had the certified headcount to deliver it.
Certification matters more than it used to, because the integrator program is built on it. A firm needs one engineer with Ignition Core certification to be a Certified integrator, one with Gold to reach Gold and two Gold certified engineers for Premier, and Premier integrators grew 21% in the year to ICC 2026. Core is an online exam and Gold is a practical project, both valid for three years, and both switched to Ignition 8.3 on the 26th of October 2026. Every firm chasing a higher tier is chasing the same Gold certified engineers.
The platform keeps moving too. Ignition 8.3 came out in September 2025 with a new historian, event streams and five years of long term support, and Inductive Automation previewed Ignition 2027 at ICC 2026 with its Catalyst AI tools. When 8.3 turned one in September 2026, Inductive Automation pointed users on older versions to end of life and long term support as reasons to move, so migration projects are adding to new builds. Engineers who know 8.3 well are the ones being asked for now.
Ignition on a resume tells you very little on its own. We’ve had resumes this year with Ignition listed as a core skill against jobs at an online bank and a software company, and engineers with eight years on the platform and the certificate who left it off. So we ask what the engineer built: which projects, whether they designed the system or edited screens someone else made, how much SQL and scripting sat behind it, and whether they took it through to commissioning. Certification helps, but we screen on the projects, and we check the certificate when it’s claimed.
Engineers with that depth have options at integrators of every size, so pay that has kept up with the market and a process that gets to an offer in two weeks decide most of these searches. We’ll tell you on the first call if either is going to get in the way. Where the certified engineer doesn’t exist in your region, some of our clients hire capable SCADA engineers from adjacent platforms and put them through the certification, and we can find those people too.
We work Ignition roles on permanent and contract terms, including Ignition alongside Rockwell on life sciences projects.
If you’re hiring an Ignition engineer, book a call and we’ll tell you what the engineers you want are being paid right now.
Questions
What’s the difference between Ignition Core and Gold certification?
Core is an online exam covering the platform, with basic SQL and Python. Gold is a practical project that needs Core first. Both last three years.
How many certified engineers does an Ignition Premier integrator need?
At least two with current Gold certification, along with sales and technical review requirements set by Inductive Automation.
Do you recruit Ignition contractors?
Yes, on W2 or 1099, for builds, migrations and commissioning.
Related
Sources: Inductive Automation, About. Inductive Automation, Integrator Program. Inductive Automation, Certification tests. Inductive Automation, Ignition 8.3 release, 16th of September 2025. Inductive Automation, Ignition 8.3 turns one, September 2026. Inductive Automation, ICC 2026 recap. Inductive Automation, Ignition 2027 announcement. Data centers and Water and wastewater industry pages.
