Automation Engineer Jobs in South Carolina
Automation Engineer jobs in South Carolina are concentrated in the Greenville-Spartanburg corridor, Charleston, and Columbia, where manufacturers like BMW Manufacturing, Michelin, and Bosch have built out large production and engineering operations. Demand runs from entry-level controls engineers to senior systems integrators, with the strongest focus on PLC programming, robotics integration, and industrial networking. South Carolina's deep manufacturing base keeps this one of the more active markets in the Southeast for automation talent. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 36+ Automation Engineer jobs
Looking for a career where hard work is valued, and your ideas and feedback are part of the way we operate daily? Want to bring your skills to a company that encourages teamwork and champions continued education and process improvement?
Atlas Tech, a veteran-owned IT company serving multiple DoD customers in support of America's warfighters, is seeking an experienced Subject Matter Expert (SME) specializing in Kubernetes and cloud native infrastructure. The ideal candidate will bring deep hands on knowledge of container orchestration, cluster operations, automation frameworks, and modern DevOps practices. Experience with multi cluster environments, service mesh, and cloud provider Kubernetes platforms is highly valuable. This role focuses on designing, implementing, and optimizing enterprise grade Kubernetes environments to drive scalability, reliability, and operational excellence.
This position allows for telework up to 2 days per week. However, Atlas reserves the right to adjust the schedule, if required to meet the needs of our customer.
Travel Up To - 10%
You Will:
- Serve as the primary technical authority for Kubernetes strategy, operations, and best practices.
- Architect, deploy, and manage Kubernetes clusters across bare-metal, virtualized, and multi-cloud environments.
- Leverage GitOps delivery pipelines using Argo CD (or Flux) to automate infrastructure state, cluster add-ons, and workload deployments across multi-cluster environments.
- Configure, tune, and troubleshoot cluster networking, including Container Network Interfaces, ingress controllers and service mesh architectures.
- Build and optimize enhance monitoring, logging, and tracing frameworks to ensure cluster reliability and workload visibility.
- Troubleshoot complex cluster issues, including networking, scheduling, performance tuning, and node health.
- Collaborate with application teams to onboard workloads, design deployment patterns, and optimize resource usage.
- Drive documentation, standards, and reusable automation templates for repeatability across environments.
- Provide knowledge transfer, training, and mentorship to junior engineers and cross functional teams
You Have:
- Must be a US Citizen.
- Must currently possess and maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Level Security Clearance.
- Extensive hands-on Kubernetes experience, including cluster operations, workload deployment, and infrastructure components.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms providing managed Kubernetes (AKS, EKS, GKE).
- Excellent communication and documentation skills.
- Solid understanding of containers and container build processes (Docker, Podman, Buildah, etc.).
- Strong troubleshooting skills for cluster networking, storage, and control plane issues.
- Experience with service mesh technologies (Istio, Linkerd) or ingress controllers (NGINX, HAProxy, Traefik)
- Experience with Helm charts, Kustomize, and Kubernetes Operators templating/packaging mechanism.
- Knowledge of Kubernetes security tooling (OPA/Gatekeeper, Kyverno, Falco).
- Strong skills with automation tooling (Ansible, Terraform, or similar).
- Proficiency with Git, Jenkins, YAML, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps workflows.
- Familiarity with DoD/DoW compliance automation (DISA STIGs, SCAP, RMF)
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly
We’d be Impressed if You Had:
- Certifications such as Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)
- Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
Education/Experience
- BS Degree in relevant technical field or combination of education and experience
- Ability to obtain the following certs within 3 months of start date:
- CompTIA Security+ CE
- Professional Scrum Developer certification or Certified Scrum Developer certification
- 3+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience designing, provisioning, and administering production Kubernetes environments.
- 5+ years experience working with a wide range of IT products
In addition to a great culture at Atlas Tech, we pride ourselves on our Core Values of Learning; Teaching; Passion; and Flexibility. We have been recognized in the top 25 in both South Carolina and Virginia as one of the Best Places to Work for three straight years. We have also been honored with the US DOL Hire Vets Gold Award since 2020.
Want to hear more? Read on to see what our Team Members say about their experience:
“From day 1, I knew Atlas Tech was where I wanted to be. Atlas’ culture embraces creativeness, community involvement, and taking care of their employees. If you’re looking for a great place to work, come join us!” - Blane
“I could not have asked for a better company to transition from Active-Duty military to civilian life. Atlas not only provides opportunities for professional growth, but it’s also highly encouraged. The passion and appreciation for what we do that is displayed every day, makes it exciting for me to come to work each day.” - Laurence
Atlas Tech is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, or protected veteran status. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and respected.
Accessibility & Accommodations
Atlas Tech strives to make our website, www.atlas-tech.com, accessible to all users. If you need assistance completing the application process or require a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at hr.recruiter@atlas-tech.com.
This contact information is designated for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of an application. Atlas Tech is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Atlas Tech offers a competitive salary, generous benefits package, and an opportunity to make a positive impact in your own community.
Looking for a career where hard work is valued, and your ideas and feedback are part of the way we operate daily? Want to bring your skills to a company that encourages teamwork and champions continued education and process improvement?
Atlas Tech, a veteran-owned IT company serving multiple DoD customers in support of America's warfighters, is seeking an experienced Subject Matter Expert (SME) specializing in Kubernetes and cloud native infrastructure. The ideal candidate will bring deep hands on knowledge of container orchestration, cluster operations, automation frameworks, and modern DevOps practices. Experience with multi cluster environments, service mesh, and cloud provider Kubernetes platforms is highly valuable. This role focuses on designing, implementing, and optimizing enterprise grade Kubernetes environments to drive scalability, reliability, and operational excellence.
This position allows for telework up to 2 days per week. However, Atlas reserves the right to adjust the schedule, if required to meet the needs of our customer.
Travel Up To - 10%
You Will:
- Serve as the primary technical authority for Kubernetes strategy, operations, and best practices.
- Architect, deploy, and manage Kubernetes clusters across bare-metal, virtualized, and multi-cloud environments.
- Leverage GitOps delivery pipelines using Argo CD (or Flux) to automate infrastructure state, cluster add-ons, and workload deployments across multi-cluster environments.
- Configure, tune, and troubleshoot cluster networking, including Container Network Interfaces, ingress controllers and service mesh architectures.
- Build and optimize enhance monitoring, logging, and tracing frameworks to ensure cluster reliability and workload visibility.
- Troubleshoot complex cluster issues, including networking, scheduling, performance tuning, and node health.
- Collaborate with application teams to onboard workloads, design deployment patterns, and optimize resource usage.
- Drive documentation, standards, and reusable automation templates for repeatability across environments.
- Provide knowledge transfer, training, and mentorship to junior engineers and cross functional teams
You Have:
- Must be a US Citizen.
- Must currently possess and maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Level Security Clearance.
- Extensive hands-on Kubernetes experience, including cluster operations, workload deployment, and infrastructure components.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms providing managed Kubernetes (AKS, EKS, GKE).
- Excellent communication and documentation skills.
- Solid understanding of containers and container build processes (Docker, Podman, Buildah, etc.).
- Strong troubleshooting skills for cluster networking, storage, and control plane issues.
- Experience with service mesh technologies (Istio, Linkerd) or ingress controllers (NGINX, HAProxy, Traefik)
- Experience with Helm charts, Kustomize, and Kubernetes Operators templating/packaging mechanism.
- Knowledge of Kubernetes security tooling (OPA/Gatekeeper, Kyverno, Falco).
- Strong skills with automation tooling (Ansible, Terraform, or similar).
- Proficiency with Git, Jenkins, YAML, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps workflows.
- Familiarity with DoD/DoW compliance automation (DISA STIGs, SCAP, RMF)
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly
We’d be Impressed if You Had:
- Certifications such as Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)
- Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
Education/Experience
- BS Degree in relevant technical field or combination of education and experience
- Ability to obtain the following certs within 3 months of start date:
- CompTIA Security+ CE
- Professional Scrum Developer certification or Certified Scrum Developer certification
- 3+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience designing, provisioning, and administering production Kubernetes environments.
- 5+ years experience working with a wide range of IT products
In addition to a great culture at Atlas Tech, we pride ourselves on our Core Values of Learning; Teaching; Passion; and Flexibility. We have been recognized in the top 25 in both South Carolina and Virginia as one of the Best Places to Work for three straight years. We have also been honored with the US DOL Hire Vets Gold Award since 2020.
Want to hear more? Read on to see what our Team Members say about their experience:
“From day 1, I knew Atlas Tech was where I wanted to be. Atlas’ culture embraces creativeness, community involvement, and taking care of their employees. If you’re looking for a great place to work, come join us!” - Blane
“I could not have asked for a better company to transition from Active-Duty military to civilian life. Atlas not only provides opportunities for professional growth, but it’s also highly encouraged. The passion and appreciation for what we do that is displayed every day, makes it exciting for me to come to work each day.” - Laurence
Atlas Tech is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, or protected veteran status. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and respected.
Accessibility & Accommodations
Atlas Tech strives to make our website, www.atlas-tech.com, accessible to all users. If you need assistance completing the application process or require a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at hr.recruiter@atlas-tech.com.
This contact information is designated for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of an application. Atlas Tech is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Atlas Tech offers a competitive salary, generous benefits package, and an opportunity to make a positive impact in your own community.
See All 36 Automation Engineer Jobs in South Carolina
Find roles in South Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Automation Engineer JobsAutomation Engineer Jobs by City in South Carolina
Where South Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Automation Engineer Job Market in South Carolina
A snapshot from current South Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Automotive
What South Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in automation engineer jobs across South Carolina.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or mechatronics engineering from an accredited program
- Hands-on experience programming PLCs such as Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Mitsubishi platforms
- Proficiency with industrial robotics systems including FANUC, KUKA, or ABB
- Experience designing or supporting SCADA and HMI systems in a manufacturing environment
- Familiarity with automotive or advanced manufacturing production processes and quality standards
- Strong understanding of electrical schematics, control panel design, and safety standards such as NFPA 79
Automation Engineer Jobs in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a automation engineer in South Carolina?
Most automation engineer roles in South Carolina require a bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or mechatronics engineering from an ABET-accredited program. South Carolina does not require a state-issued license specifically for automation engineers, though engineers who stamp drawings for public projects may pursue licensure through the South Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Employers in the Upstate manufacturing corridor typically prioritize PLC programming certifications and hands-on plant experience alongside the degree.
How much do automation engineers make in South Carolina?
Automation engineers in South Carolina earn a median of about $110,490 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $65,240 for the lowest 10% to over $180,960 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire automation engineers in South Carolina?
Companies currently hiring automation engineers in South Carolina include Atlas Technologies, Michelin, and Phoenix Contact, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. South Carolina's dense concentration of automotive and advanced manufacturing facilities, particularly in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, means that both original equipment manufacturers and their Tier 1 suppliers are consistent sources of openings.
Which South Carolina cities have the most automation engineer jobs?
Lexington, South Carolina, and Anderson account for the most automation engineer openings in South Carolina. Greenville and Spartanburg lead because of the BMW, Michelin, and Bosch campuses anchored there, while Charleston's growing aerospace and logistics sector and Columbia's mix of defense contractors and utility infrastructure keep those metros active as well.
Are there remote automation engineer jobs in South Carolina?
Yes, but they're rare. Automation engineering is fundamentally hands-on work tied to physical equipment, so most roles require an on-site presence. About 50% of automation engineer openings tied to South Carolina are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those positions tend to be in systems architecture, project management, or pre-sales application engineering rather than direct plant-floor controls work.
How can I get hired as a automation engineer in South Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is an internship or co-op with one of South Carolina's large manufacturers during your final year of an engineering program, as BMW Manufacturing, Michelin, and Bosch all run structured programs for students at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Candidates without a degree can start in technician or maintenance electrician roles and move laterally once they build PLC experience. Earning a Rockwell Automation certification strengthens any entry-level application.
Where can I find and apply to automation engineer jobs in South Carolina?
You can find and apply to automation engineer jobs in South Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your experience and location, and apply directly through the listings.
See All 36 Automation Engineer Jobs in South Carolina
Find roles in South Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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