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Best states for an automation & controls engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to automation & controls engineer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for automation & controls engineers in America. The best city in America for automation & controls engineers with the highest pay is San Carlos, CA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for automation & controls engineers. California is the best state for automation & controls engineers, where the median salary is $116,240.If you are currently seeking employment as an automation & controls engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for automation & controls engineers in 2025
1. California
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 5,439 Average annual salary: $116,240 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.82. District of Columbia
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 272 Average annual salary: $115,740 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.573. Washington
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 983 Average annual salary: $97,895 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.34. Nevada
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 167 Average annual salary: $97,970 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.775. Massachusetts
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 1,214 Average annual salary: $94,320 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.286. Texas
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 1,935 Average annual salary: $92,065 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.937. Idaho
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 106 Average annual salary: $96,595 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 0.628. Utah
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 372 Average annual salary: $87,595 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.139. Vermont
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $94,669 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.7610. Illinois
Total automation & controls engineer jobs: 1,043 Average annual salary: $90,954 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
Automation & controls engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an automation & controls engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an automation & controls engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $116,240 | $86,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,439 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $115,740 | $88,000 | 693,972 | 272 |
| 3 | Washington | $97,895 | $74,000 | 7,405,743 | 983 |
| 4 | Nevada | $97,970 | $72,000 | 2,998,039 | 167 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $94,320 | $72,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,214 |
| 6 | Texas | $92,065 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,935 |
| 7 | Idaho | $96,595 | $73,000 | 1,716,943 | 106 |
| 8 | Utah | $87,595 | $66,000 | 3,101,833 | 372 |
| 9 | Vermont | $94,669 | $72,000 | 623,657 | 60 |
| 10 | Illinois | $90,954 | $70,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,043 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $95,519 | $73,000 | 1,059,639 | 71 |
| 12 | Maryland | $88,603 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 978 |
| 13 | Delaware | $87,298 | $66,000 | 961,939 | 134 |
| 14 | Virginia | $86,191 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,480 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $95,347 | $72,000 | 9,005,644 | 468 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $87,760 | $67,000 | 6,715,984 | 319 |
| 17 | Ohio | $85,660 | $65,000 | 11,658,609 | 782 |
| 18 | Michigan | $81,811 | $63,000 | 9,962,311 | 944 |
| 19 | Georgia | $84,150 | $64,000 | 10,429,379 | 974 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $85,783 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 533 |
| 21 | Alabama | $80,929 | $61,000 | 4,874,747 | 446 |
| 22 | Alaska | $89,130 | $76,000 | 739,795 | 65 |
| 23 | Indiana | $81,781 | $63,000 | 6,666,818 | 567 |
| 24 | Arizona | $82,136 | $62,000 | 7,016,270 | 847 |
| 25 | Colorado | $82,761 | $63,000 | 5,607,154 | 884 |
| 26 | Florida | $84,855 | $63,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,363 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $83,756 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 153 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $87,751 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 89 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $83,795 | $64,000 | 3,930,864 | 155 |
| 30 | Missouri | $83,817 | $64,000 | 6,113,532 | 374 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $79,429 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 54 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $81,190 | $62,000 | 3,588,184 | 357 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $80,546 | $61,000 | 12,805,537 | 820 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $80,148 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 144 |
| 35 | Kansas | $79,304 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 240 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $79,316 | $60,000 | 10,273,419 | 830 |
| 37 | New York | $80,286 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,080 |
| 38 | Oregon | $73,079 | $55,000 | 4,142,776 | 527 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $76,769 | $60,000 | 755,393 | 66 |
| 40 | Iowa | $71,217 | $55,000 | 3,145,711 | 346 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $77,005 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 130 |
| 42 | Maine | $77,645 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 83 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $76,689 | $58,000 | 2,984,100 | 92 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $74,167 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 275 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $76,095 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 159 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $59,229 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 550 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $70,407 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 131 |
| 48 | Montana | $64,376 | $49,000 | 1,050,493 | 71 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $64,028 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 64 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $59,120 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 232 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $60,765 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 45 |
Highest paying states for automation & controls engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Automation & Controls Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $116,240 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $115,740 |
| 3 | Washington | $97,895 |
| 4 | Nevada | $97,970 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $94,320 |
| 6 | Texas | $92,065 |
| 7 | Idaho | $96,595 |
| 8 | Utah | $87,595 |
| 9 | Vermont | $94,669 |
| 10 | Illinois | $90,954 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $95,519 |
| 12 | Maryland | $88,603 |
| 13 | Delaware | $87,298 |
| 14 | Virginia | $86,191 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $95,347 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $87,760 |
| 17 | Ohio | $85,660 |
| 18 | Michigan | $81,811 |
| 19 | Georgia | $84,150 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $85,783 |
| 21 | Alabama | $80,929 |
| 22 | Alaska | $89,130 |
| 23 | Indiana | $81,781 |
| 24 | Arizona | $82,136 |
| 25 | Colorado | $82,761 |
| 26 | Florida | $84,855 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $83,756 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $87,751 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $83,795 |
| 30 | Missouri | $83,817 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $79,429 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $81,190 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $80,546 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $80,148 |
| 35 | Kansas | $79,304 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $79,316 |
| 37 | New York | $80,286 |
| 38 | Oregon | $73,079 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $76,769 |
| 40 | Iowa | $71,217 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $77,005 |
| 42 | Maine | $77,645 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $76,689 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $74,167 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $76,095 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $59,229 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $70,407 |
| 48 | Montana | $64,376 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $64,028 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $59,120 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $60,765 |
Expert opinions on the best states for automation & controls engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for automation & controls engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
Automation & controls engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025