2027 Salary Guide · Controls & Automation
Controls engineers do not get their own BLS pay line. They are usually classified as electrical engineers, an occupation with a May 2025 median of $120,630 and a 2027 planning estimate of about $128,000. Most controls engineers fall in the middle half of that occupation's range, roughly $92,830 to $152,950, rather than at either end.
About the data
Read this before using any number on the page in an offer.
The federal occupation system has no controls engineer code. BLS and O*NET usually classify controls engineers as Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071), and O*NET lists Electrical Controls Engineer among that occupation's reported job titles. Every percentile, metro figure and projection on this page is for electrical engineers as a whole.
That makes the figures approximate. The electrical engineer occupation also includes power systems, building design and electronics work. Controls roles, which program and commission PLCs, HMIs and plant control systems, most often sit in the middle half of the range rather than at either end, which is why the chart shades the 25th to 75th percentile.
Some employers post the same work as an automation engineer. O*NET classifies automation and mechatronics engineers under Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199), with a May 2025 median of $122,930. Neither code measures the controls title directly, so benchmark against both.
Pay distribution
The bar shows pay for all electrical engineers. The shaded band, the 25th to 75th percentile, is where controls roles most often land; it is an approximation, not a measured figure for the controls title.
Typical for the Controls Engineer title: $92,830 to $152,950 (25th to 75th percentile of Electrical Engineers)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,550 | $81,500 |
| 25th percentile | $92,830 | $98,500 |
| Median | $120,630 | $128,000 |
| 75th percentile | $152,950 | $162,500 |
| 90th percentile | $184,300 | $196,000 |
BLS has no controls engineer category. This guide benchmarks the title to Electrical Engineers.
Title check
Job posts use these titles loosely. This is the BLS occupation each one maps to in this guide, with its national median.
| Title | BLS occupation used | May 2025 median |
|---|---|---|
| Controls engineer | Electrical Engineers (17-2071), approximate | $120,630 |
| Automation engineer | Engineers, All Other (17-2199), approximate | $122,930 |
| Electrical engineer | Electrical Engineers (17-2071) | $120,630 |
| Mechanical engineer | Mechanical Engineers (17-2141) | $104,110 |
| Maintenance technician | Maintenance and Repair Workers, General (49-9071) | $49,590 |
BLS OEWS national medians, May 2025. Controls and automation figures are for the broader occupation, not measured for the exact title.
Local pay
Among the metros we track, the San Francisco Bay Area ($166,030) and Austin ($145,360) post the highest electrical engineer medians. Detroit has 6,060 electrical engineers and about two and a half times the national concentration, but its median of $114,390 is below the national figure. These are electrical engineer estimates; use them as a benchmark for controls offers.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $166,030 +38% | $97,500 – $219,070 | 2,470 |
| Austin | $145,360 +21% | $81,960 – $212,900 | 4,070 |
| Seattle | $140,210 +16% | $98,130 – $202,430 | 4,930 |
| Los Angeles | $139,780 +16% | $79,230 – $209,460 | 8,970 |
| Houston | $131,070 +9% | $77,170 – $207,990 | 5,770 |
| Raleigh | $130,240 +8% | $73,380 – $221,050 | 1,500 |
| Boston | $128,610 +7% | $78,800 – $176,470 | 4,030 |
| New York City | $128,340 +6% | $81,440 – $171,030 | 6,290 |
| Portland | $128,080 +6% | $84,250 – $164,720 | 2,320 |
| Philadelphia | $127,730 +6% | $81,380 – $180,390 | 3,520 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | $127,270 +6% | $80,080 – $204,610 | 2,400 |
| Washington, DC | $126,420 +5% | $84,820 – $195,190 | 4,450 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $124,390 +3% | $76,720 – $205,040 | 5,720 |
| Denver | $119,020 -1% | $80,350 – $196,110 | 2,620 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $117,230 -3% | $82,080 – $168,280 | 2,410 |
| Baltimore | $116,650 -3% | $66,630 – $203,210 | 2,770 |
| Providence | $114,710 -5% | $78,000 – $197,950 | 830 |
| Detroit | $114,390 -5% | $80,610 – $160,110 | 6,060 |
| Chicago | $113,520 -6% | $76,660 – $165,890 | 4,290 |
| Hartford | $106,760 -11% | $80,170 – $157,640 | 990 |
| Albany | $105,910 -12% | $70,890 – $170,020 | 720 |
| Pittsburgh | $104,990 -13% | $78,120 – $157,400 | 1,630 |
| Charlotte | $103,360 -14% | $65,140 – $213,210 | 1,770 |
| Miami | $102,800 -15% | $65,660 – $163,750 | 2,050 |
| Tampa | $102,110 -15% | $64,370 – $162,490 | 1,500 |
| Nashville | $99,790 -17% | $72,910 – $166,720 | 690 |
| Phoenix | $99,160 -18% | $75,560 – $165,520 | 3,420 |
| Buffalo | $98,180 -19% | $65,800 – $152,500 | 550 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
What moves pay
Inside the electrical engineer range, these are the differences hiring managers and candidates argue about most.
O*NET lists programmable logic controller (PLC) software, SCADA software and HMI packages such as AVEVA InTouch among the industrial control tools electrical engineers use. Employers commonly ask for hands-on experience with the specific platform their plant already runs.
System integrators build and commission control systems for many clients, often with travel to job sites. Plant controls engineers support one facility's lines. The two jobs are paid and scheduled differently, so compare total hours and travel, not just base salary.
Electrical engineer medians run from $98,180 in Buffalo to $166,030 in the Bay Area among the metros we track, a gap of about $67,850. Manufacturing-heavy Detroit sits below the national median despite its large engineering workforce.
BLS says licensure is not required for entry-level electrical engineer positions. Engineers can earn a Professional Engineer (PE) license by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, gaining several years of relevant experience and passing the PE exam.
Outlook
BLS projects much faster than average growth for electrical engineers, with about 11,400 openings a year from a base of 199,700 jobs. BLS does not project controls engineering separately.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Electrical Engineers as a whole.
For hiring managers
List the PLC family, HMI and SCADA software in the first lines. Platform match is one of the first things controls candidates look for.
Integrator roles with heavy commissioning travel and plant roles with on-call support attract different people. Put the expected travel share in the post.
Greenfield line installs and keeping an existing plant running call for different experience. Make clear which one this role is.
Use the electrical engineer figure for the metro, and check the automation engineer figure if the job is posted under that title.
Compare
Automation engineers, which O*NET places under Engineers, All Other, have a slightly higher median at $122,930. Mechanical engineers sit about $16,520 lower, and the maintenance technicians controls engineers often support earn far less.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controls Engineer | $120,630 | $128,000 | Much faster than average |
| Automation Engineer | $122,930 | $130,500 | Average |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 | $128,000 | Much faster than average |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $110,500 | Much faster than average |
| Maintenance Technician | $49,590 | $52,500 | Average |
FAQ
There is no controls engineer figure in BLS data. The closest occupation, Electrical Engineers, had a May 2025 median of $120,630, and most controls roles fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles, $92,830 to $152,950. With two years of 3.1% wage growth, the 2027 planning median for the occupation is about $128,000.
PLC programming is the core of most controls engineer jobs, so the same benchmark applies: electrical engineers earned a median of $120,630 in May 2025. BLS does not track pay by PLC platform. In practice, experience commissioning on the platform an employer already runs is one of the main things that moves an offer up within that range.
For federal statistics, usually yes. BLS and O*NET classify most controls engineers as Electrical Engineers, and O*NET lists Electrical Controls Engineer among that occupation's job titles. Some employers use automation engineer for similar work, which O*NET places under Engineers, All Other.
There is no BLS entry-level figure for the title. For the electrical engineer occupation, the 10th percentile was $76,550 and the 25th percentile $92,830 in May 2025. Those two figures are reasonable markers for junior controls offers, with higher starting points in metros such as the Bay Area and Seattle.
Not to get started. BLS says licensure is not required for entry-level electrical engineer positions. Experienced engineers can obtain a Professional Engineer license after passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gaining experience and passing the PE exam. Whether a controls job asks for one depends on the employer; check each post.
Careerscape's engineering recruiters send pre-screened shortlists for direct hire, contract and contract-to-hire controls roles.
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