How to hire an automation & controls engineer

How to hire an automation & controls engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step automation & controls engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an automation & controls engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new automation & controls engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an automation & controls engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The automation & controls engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect automation & controls engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of automation & controls engineers.

   Type of Automation & Controls Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Automation & Controls Engineer	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPSs).	$32-55
   Engineering Trainee	An engineering trainee is responsible for shadowing engineers in their duties and performing administrative tasks as needed. Engineering trainees assist the engineers in inspecting construction sites and conducting field research... Show more	$20-39
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PLC
   • HMI
   • Troubleshoot
   • Allen-Bradley
   • Autocad
   • Hmi Programming
   • CAD
   • Project Management
   • Process Control
   • Continuous Improvement
   • FANUC
   • Industrial Automation
   • MES
   • FactoryTalk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all aspects of Marketo campaign strategy and implementation.
   • Establish communication links and prepare machines for bench-testing to attain UL certification.
   • Create HTML emails for use within Salesforce.
   • Implement capitol project to include data capturing software for machine efficiency (SCADA) using PLC logic and Ethernet communications.
   • Perform QA on automation processes.
   • Integrate Wonderware (SCADA) in most areas of the facility.

   More automation & controls engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your automation & controls engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An automation & controls engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, automation & controls engineers' average salary in kentucky is 49% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level automation & controls engineers earn 41% less than senior-level automation & controls engineers.
   • Certifications. An automation & controls engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an automation & controls engineer's salary.

   Average automation & controls engineer salary

   $89,542yearly

   $43.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level automation & controls engineer salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average automation & controls engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$125,083	$60
   2	Nevada	$100,060	$48
   3	Texas	$92,965	$45
   4	Illinois	$91,084	$44
   5	Utah	$87,148	$42
   6	Virginia	$86,115	$41
   7	Ohio	$86,015	$41
   8	Florida	$85,856	$41
   9	Georgia	$84,106	$40
   10	New Mexico	$83,724	$40
   11	Colorado	$82,881	$40
   12	Arizona	$82,259	$40
   13	Indiana	$81,667	$39
   14	Connecticut	$81,146	$39
   15	North Carolina	$79,418	$38
   16	Kansas	$79,229	$38
   17	Pennsylvania	$79,187	$38
   18	Mississippi	$75,825	$36
   19	Oregon	$73,023	$35
   20	Kentucky	$59,261	$28

   Average automation & controls engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Integrated DNA Technologies	$119,975	$57.68
   2	Microsoft	$119,464	$57.43	43
   3	Rivian	$118,121	$56.79	7
   4	Amazon	$115,654	$55.60	223
   5	Cepheid	$115,267	$55.42	4
   6	Koch Industries	$114,423	$55.01	3
   7	Avid Bioservices	$110,000	$52.88
   8	Gillette	$108,557	$52.19
   9	CITGO Petroleum	$107,959	$51.90
   10	Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.	$107,007	$51.45
   11	Tesla	$105,317	$50.63	2
   12	Masimo	$104,991	$50.48	1
   13	Peregrine Pharmaceuticals	$104,536	$50.26
   14	Joby Aviation	$103,288	$49.66	8
   15	Oshkosh	$103,271	$49.65	13
   16	BioMarin	$102,642	$49.35
   17	P&G	$102,490	$49.27	36
   18	Kaiser Aluminum	$101,684	$48.89	8
   19	Stanley Black & Decker	$100,490	$48.31	1
   20	Intel	$100,424	$48.28	6

4. Writing an automation & controls engineer job description

   A job description for an automation & controls engineer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an automation & controls engineer job description:

   Automation & controls engineer job description example

   Fluent and diverse with all aspects of Electrical, Instrumentation Controls Engineering Maintenance in a heavy industrial environment. Plans and executes all engineering and maintenance duties with proper and appropriate standards and techniques. Self-motivated and driven to provide skill set as a valuable asset to limit production downtime and improve process equipment efficiency. Must work in a safe manner and abide by safety all rules and practices.
   Essential Functions:
   
   ABB DCS System Support - System maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades as need. Responsibilities include program changes, graphics modifications, and hardware upgrades of the ABB 800xA DCS system. Maintenance Support - Work with Electrical Maintenance dept. on any and all issues that require additional electrical maintenance engineering support. Call rotation included. Capital Project Support - Perform electrical controls portion of Paper Mill Capital Projects. These duties may include, but not limited to, contractor management, planning and timeline assessments, cost evaluations, return-on-investment research, hands-on project execution, ect. PLC System Support - System maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades as needed. Responsibilities include program and logic changes, hardware and software upgrades, system backups, ect. Spare parts inventory management. Allen Bradley Control Logix, Micro Logix, and Siemens Step 7 experience is a plus. Drive System Support - Variable Speed Drive maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades. Logic changes, hardware maintenance, and on-going drive systems upgrades. Spare parts inventory management. GE and Allen-Bradley experience a plus. Instrumentation Control Valve Support - Maintain, troubleshoot, calibration, installation and repair instrumentation and control valves. Thorough knowledge of pressure, flow, and temperature transmitter theory and application a must. Control valve experience a plus. General Electrical Automation Support - Provide maintenance and engineering support in all general aspects of electrical and automation field, mill wide. Assist with any designated projects for a sound and thorough resolution that will improve process efficiency, minimize downtime, and/or result in monetary savings. Electrical on-call duty, which will require coverage on nights and weekends as needed. Support maintenance department downtime goals.
   
   Education and Experience: The minimum requirements for education and experience are listed below. Consideration will be given to individuals with an equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   BSc in Electrical Engineering from an accredited College or in a related technical field and fifteen years' experience in Controls and Automation in an Industrial Environment In-depth knowledge of maintenance of the paper manufacturing plant is an asset Experience with repair and maintenance of processing equipment. Experience with distributive control systems (ABB DSC) and programmable logic controller (Allen-Bradley PLC) is highly recommended.
   
   Computer Skills:
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must have expertise and proficiency with basic office computer software.
   
   Work Environment:
   
   Professional office and manufacturing environments; may be subject to high levels of dust, odors, fumes, chemicals, oils, extreme temperatures, loud noises, and other environmental factors found in manufacturing environments.
   
   Physical Requirements:
   
   Positions in this class typically require: stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, typing, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
   
   EEOC Statement
   
   Pratt Industries provides equal employment [and affirmative action] opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right automation & controls engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with automation & controls engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit automation & controls engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your automation & controls engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit automation & controls engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting automation & controls engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new automation & controls engineer

   Once you've selected the best automation & controls engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new automation & controls engineer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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