How to Become a Systems Integration Engineer: Career Path Guide
If you want to become a systems integration engineer, you first need to determine if this career path is a good fit for you. If the following description sounds like you, then you’re probably well suited for a career as a systems integration engineer:
• Do you enjoy highly technical, hands-on work?
• Do you have knowledge of hardware, software, and the networks that connect them?
• Do you enjoy solving complex information technology interoperability problems?
• Do you have a patient, methodical approach to work activities?
Those who become systems integration engineers are typically individuals that enjoy applying engineering and mathematical concepts to problems in order to find an appropriate solution.
They also typically have an educational background in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering or a closely related field.
Those who become systems integration engineers must be able to work standard weekday working hours, and aren’t in great opposition to working in an office environment.
They tend to work well with others and possess excellent communication skills, as well as the ability to translate customer requirements into concrete technical designs.
Those who become systems integration engineers are individuals who have the ability to visualize complex processes and solve complex problems. Systems integration engineers are also able to apply a great deal of concentration over a long period of time in order to complete a complicated task properly the first time.
Below we've outlined what you'll need to begin a career as a systems integration engineer. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education Required to Become a Systems Integration Engineer
In order to become a systems integration engineer, you typically need a bachelor’s degree or higher in a field such as Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering, depending on the requirements of the employer.
Some employers may accept years of relevant work experience in place of formal education.
What is a Systems Integration Engineer?
As technology develops, businesses implement various systems at different times and the result is information and data systems that are not synchronized with one another. This makes business operations very inefficient for many organizations, as well as greatly increases their chances of experiencing security breaches with regards to sensitive and proprietary information.
Systems integration engineers are concerned with interoperability; they are responsible for bridging the gaps that were created as a result of technological developments that occurred over time.
Systems Integration Engineer Job Description
Systems integration engineers are responsible for defining, implementing, integrating and troubleshooting computer, information and software systems, including software and hardware components.
There can be a range of obstacles when trying to get these systems to work together: different operating systems, different programming and database languages, legacy systems that no longer have vendor support. Systems integration engineers must be able to apply engineering principles to these complex problems so that the systems can be effectively integrated.
Systems integration engineers place emphasis on satisfying the functional, physical and operational performance requirements as communicated by stakeholders, in the intended use environments over the planned life cycle of the system, within cost and schedule constraints.
If systems integration engineers are successful in solving problems of interoperability, their work will ensure that new information is dispersed right away, that everyone within the organization gets the benefit of it, and that users have a consistent interface to work with.
Systems Integration Engineer Job Duties
• Gather and analyze data to determine system requirements
• Develop work plans and estimates as they relate to systems integration work tasks and team members
• Research, evaluate, and recommend systems, equipment and technologies based on client needs
• Draft technical instructions, engineering plans, technical designs, and other systems integration related documents
• Liaise with various team members such as management, administration, legal, and support staff on a regular basis
• Develop and conduct testing plans and procedures based upon system recommendations
• Provide client with post-installation and integration support
Who Creates Jobs for Systems Integration Engineers?
Systems integration engineers are hired on a part-time, full-time, permanent and contractual basis by organizations that need to integrate their various computer and software systems with one another.
Systems integration engineers are hired by organizations that represent almost every industry. The types of organizations that create jobs for systems integration engineers includes:
• Colleges and universities
• Municipal, provincial/state and federal government departments
• Transportation companies
• Companies in the entertainment industry
• Engineering and information systems consulting companies
• National defense
• Hospitals and health care organizations
• Corporate organizations across almost every industry
Skills and Traits Needed to Become a Systems Integration Engineer
In order to become effective in a career as a systems integration engineer, you need to posses a certain set of skills and personality traits. These soft skills, hard skills and personality traits will help you perform your job duties with competence, as well as help you overcome the challenges of this career.
During your job hunt, you may notice that Systems Integration Engineer job postings list some of the following skills and traits as those they wish to see in candidates. The ideal candidates for these jobs will typically posses most of these general skills and attributes. Each individual job posting will also list skills and traits that are specific to that job.
Personal Characteristics
• Enjoy highly technical, hands-on work
• Enjoy solving complex problems
• Willingness to take responsibility for ensuring customer satisfaction
• Willingness to work outside of normal working hours to complete tasks
• Proactive and self-motivated approach to work tasks
Soft Skills
• Strong organization skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to decipher highly technical data
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks
• Excellent environmental testing; test planning and execution skills
Hard Skills and Abilities
• Knowledge of system and software engineering architecture principles, concepts, and best practices
• Experience in coordinating technology designs with architectural requirements and constraints
• Vision abilities, including close vision, color vision and depth perception
• Experience integrating technologies such as: Windows Server, Apache, Tomcat, IIS, Oracle, SQLServer, and Java
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Systems Integration Engineer Salary Level
The salary level and earnings of a systems integration engineer can vary, depending on their personal qualifications, the size and type of their employer, and many other factors.
Systems Integration Engineer Salary Alberta: According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans working as part of the Software Engineers* occupational group earn an average of between $31.77 and $66.71 per hour. The mean wage for this occupational group is $42.61 an hour.
Systems Integration Engineer Salary Canada: According to Service Canada, Canadian workers in the Software Engineers and Designers occupational group earn an average salary of $72,202 per year.
Systems Integration Engineer Salary United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage of workers in the Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software occupational group is $96,620, and their mean hourly wage is $46.45.
*There is no reliable salary data available specifically for Systems Integration Engineers in Alberta or Canada as a whole. We can however, get a good idea of their earnings by looking at the earnings of closely related professions.
Careers Similar to Systems Integration Engineer
Listed below are careers in our database that are similar in nature to Systems Integration Engineer, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
• Information Systems Designer
References: How to Become a Systems Integration Engineer
Please consult the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a Systems Integration Engineer.
Occupations in Alberta: “Computer Engineer.” (March 31, 2018). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
Computers & Information Technology: “Network and Computer Systems Administrators.” (September 4, 2019). Bureau of Labor Statistics - United States Government website. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
Services: “Engineering.” (n.d.). OSI Maritime Systems website. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
Recruiting: “Systems Integration Engineer: 4 Essential Skills You Need to Excel.” Jeff Tavangar (June 22, 2015) Computer Weekly website. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
Scholarships for Becoming a Systems Integration Engineer
Scholarships listed for majors that apply to becoming a Systems Integration Engineer can be found on the following pages:
Computer Engineering Scholarships
Software Engineering Scholarships
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Becoming a Systems Integration Engineer: Applicable Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming a Systems Integration Engineer. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
