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Job outlook for control systems engineers in the United States
Control systems engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected control systems engineer job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 9,800 new jobs for control systems engineers are projected over the next decade.
Control systems engineer salaries have increased 8% for control systems engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 12,911 control systems engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 133,220 active control systems engineer job openings in the US.
The average control systems engineer salary is $92,727.
Are control systems engineer jobs in demand?
Control Systems Engineer job and salary trends over time
Control Systems Engineer jobs over time
Control Systems Engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,911 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 13,705 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 14,084 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 14,317 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 14,181 | 0.00% |
Average control systems engineer salary over time
Control Systems Engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $92,727 | $44.58 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $91,029 | $43.76 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $88,554 | $42.57 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $88,106 | $42.36 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $85,545 | $41.13 | +1.0% |
Control Systems Engineer jobs by state
Most common states for control systems engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 609 | 88% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,915 | 46% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,555 | 42% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,483 | 36% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 484 | 36% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,850 | 33% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 901 | 29% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,089 | 28% |
| 9 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,387 | 28% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 266 | 28% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 164 | 28% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 171 | 27% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,720 | 25% |
| 14 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,038 | 25% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 514 | 25% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 190 | 25% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,342 | 24% |
| 18 | Alaska | 739,795 | 172 | 23% |
| 19 | California | 39,536,653 | 8,829 | 22% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 230 | 22% |
Most common cities for control systems engineers
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington | 3 | 10% | $100,358 |
| 2 | Benicia | 2 | 7% | $123,120 |
| 3 | Dearborn | 5 | 5% | $93,637 |
| 4 | Cupertino | 2 | 3% | $122,726 |
| 5 | Dubuque | 2 | 3% | $77,677 |
| 6 | Idaho Falls | 2 | 3% | $83,154 |
| 7 | Grand Rapids | 3 | 2% | $93,190 |
| 8 | Pasadena | 3 | 2% | $112,330 |
| 9 | Baton Rouge | 3 | 1% | $82,767 |
| 10 | Huntsville | 2 | 1% | $86,668 |
| 11 | Houston | 4 | 0% | $102,826 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $76,934 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $91,456 |
| 14 | Baltimore | 2 | 0% | $100,908 |
| 15 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $93,680 |
Control Systems Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of control systems engineer experts
Gonzaga University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
San Diego State University
Weber State University
Old Dominion University
University of Central Florida
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Wright State University
What will help Control Systems Engineers increase their earning potential?
Craig Johnson Ph.D., P.E.: Master basic science and engineering concepts, as well as application of 'soft skills' such as written and verbal communication. Acquire skills and knowledge areas in electromechanical devices, especially in areas of energy and heat transfer, reflecting current issues related to climate change and power management.
What Control Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Steven Schennum Ph.D. P.E.: The most important skill is the ability to learn new things, and especially to unlearn things you “know” after evidence demonstrates that these things are not true. Learn how to analyze information. Your intuition, simulations, and results should all be in alignment. If they are not, then dig deeper. Learn the terminology and jargon specific to your company and your projects. Spend time reading. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by new software.
What Control Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Min Song: Communication skills and innovative thinking skills. As emerging technologies continue to be complex and multidisciplinary, it’s important to be able to communicate with professionals in diverse disciplines. Taking robotics, for example, the electrical engineer must be able to work with mechanical and biomechanical engineers, computer engineers, software engineers, artificial intelligence experts, cognitive scientists, system engineers, etc. A person will be able to generate innovative ideas only if the person has a complete and comprehensive understanding of the entire system and can work well with other individuals with a range of expertise.
What Control Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Arie Nakhmani: Electrical Engineering has always (from its inception) been a good profession to enter, but now it is better than ever. Now everything is becoming Electrical Engineering, and the world cannot survive without it even for a few days. Electrical Engineering is the most necessary profession for the survival of modern society.
What will help Control Systems Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Arif Engin: Electrical engineers solve problems by skillfully applying mathematics and science. Electrical engineering classes are challenging at college, and electrical engineers must embrace lifelong learning to remain at the top of their skills. In the end, seeing the results of their work in a finished product is a rewarding experience.
What will help Control Systems Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. A. Tye Gardner Ph.D.: Getting a master's degree goes a long way to making candidates stand out and improving earnings. My recommendation is to tailor your MS degree to the specific field you're interested in working in, because employers really want to see candidates that are passionate about the field, and very few people survive a graduate degree without at least a little passion. Available salary data indicates that if you choose an affordable program (let's just say Weber State University), it takes only a few years to pay off the added cost, increases starting salaries, and dramatically improves long-term earning potential. Moreover, you can find electrical engineers with MBAs at C-level positions all over the country. It turns out being an EE makes you a good candidate for business leadership.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Control Systems Engineers?
Michel Audette Ph.D.: My take on this is what I've seen with my wife's work in industry, which suggests that the industrial landscape is going to be increasingly equipped for, and open to, remote work. I think that the implication for graduates is that they may need to be flexible about working within a geographically distributed team. If company deciders feel that someone is worth employing because of a unique skill set, then they would typically be more willing to hire that person even if unable to make it to work regularly, if that is feasible given the nature of the work; some work, such as hardware testing or industrial production, may not lend itself to remote contributions.
Nonetheless, for those areas that accommodate geographically distributed activity, such as software development, graduates can expect to interact with team members all over the US, possibly all over the world, if someone is deemed unique enough to hire despite living abroad. This places a high premium on the ability and willingness to work in a heterogeneous team, where not only will members look different, but also have myriad accents in their English, which will also impose a certain adaptability and tolerance to team members.
A related impact could also be that global hiring will make it easier for multi-national companies to hire a portion of their talent in countries where wages are lower and motivate US-based engineers to seek out graduate degrees in order to increase their competitiveness and employability at US salaries.
Maria Jacob
ProfessorUniversity of Central Florida
Department of ECE
What experience really stands out on Control Systems Engineer resumes?
Maria Jacob: Well, this is a too general question to answer. It totally depends on which job you are applying. Is the graduate going to the industry or research? Is the job for testing, designing, coding? What will stand out will depend on this.
However, if I really have to choose one, I always thought that one of the most important things you can learn is to work in a multidisciplinary group. Then, if before graduation a student can have an internship either in the industry or in research that will definitely stand out.
Robert Saunders P.E.
Assistant Department HeadUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Electrical Engineering Department
What general advice would you give to a Control Systems Engineer?
Robert Saunders P.E.: The job market for an electrical engineering student coming out of college is challenging right now. Many companies are still hiring electrical engineering students but, the students can't be as finicky about what jobs they are accepting. More than half of the students are starting their new jobs working remotely, which is a large shift from normal but the companies seem to be using this time to bring the new hires up to speed on policy, procedures, and industry regulations.
What general advice would you give to a Control Systems Engineer?
Fred Garber Ph.D.: I think the primary question, in the minds of those who are yet to graduate or are still searching, is in regard to the strength of the technical job market, especially the local job market. But you are in a position to definitively answer that question.
In you article, I would ask that you address the following:
Number of employers looking to fill and number of job offerings in the region (by engineering and computer science major) compared to last year and to the previous five years.
Any noticeable differences in job descriptions Zippia is receiving relative to work environment, benefits, starting salaries, etc.
Many of our soon-to-graduate students would be very interested in these quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Additionally, vast numbers of potential students would benefit from such information to guide their career choices.