How To Become A Control Systems Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a control systems technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Control systems technicians are responsible for installing and maintaining building control systems. This can include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems or other control systems used in homes, businesses, plants, or factories. Their duties include troubleshooting and testing systems to identify the root of issues, replacing components, cleaning out dirt and other obstructions, and performing regular maintenance checks. Additionally, they design pneumatic piping plans and wiring diagrams for systems used in buildings. Also, they document detailed records on machine functionality and testing to report problems or recommend replacements.

A high school diploma or its equivalent is the basic requirement for this job. However, some employers prefer candidates with an associate's degree in electronics or a related field. You must possess time management, attention to detail, computer, and communication skills. You'll be earning about $65,587 per year, which is $31.53 per hour. The range vary between $37,000 and $114,000.

ScoreControl Systems TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,368

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 9.09%

Black or African American 9.22%

Hispanic or Latino 12.90%

Unknown 5.11%

White 63.36%

Gender

female 13.93%

male 86.07%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a control systems technician

Explore control systems technician education requirements

Most common control systems technician degrees

Bachelor's

39.1 %

Associate

38.7 %

High School Diploma

9.3 %

Start to develop specific control systems technician skills

Skills	Percentages
HVAC	12.94%
PLC	12.62%
HMI	8.96%
Test Equipment	8.46%
Electrical Components	5.65%

Complete relevant control systems technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New control systems technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a control systems technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real control systems technician resumes.

Research control systems technician duties and responsibilities

Develop and implement a weekly schedule on SQL databases to automate the execution of maintenance plans.
Perform standardized safety inspections on all chemical handling and manufacturing equipment to ensure OSHA / GMP compliance.
Experience in Marconi ATM switches and CISCO Ethernet switches and understand switch configurations, and detect incorrect settings.
Programme and maintain the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix redundant Ethernet link ControlNet PLC safety alarm and shutdown system.

Prepare your control systems technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your control systems technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a control systems technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable control systems technician resume templates

Build a professional control systems technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your control systems technician resume.