How to hire an electrical controls technician

How to hire an electrical controls technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step electrical controls technician hiring guide:

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

What does an electrical controls technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your electrical controls technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an electrical controls technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   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 electrical controls technician 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 presents electrical controls technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Electrical Controls Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Electrical Controls Technician	Electrical and electronics engineering technicians help engineers design and develop computers, communications equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and other electrical and electronic equipment. They often work in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to adjust, test, and repair equipment... Show more	$21-38
   Controls Engineer	A Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and supervising electrical control systems, machinery, and equipment. They oversee projects from initial concept to installation and commissioning.	$30-53
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PLC
   • Allen-Bradley
   • Electrical Equipment
   • HMI
   • Hand Tools
   • Ac Dc
   • Switches
   • Electrical Schematics
   • VFD
   • Production Equipment
   • Autocad
   • I/O
   • Variable Frequency
   • Technical Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise and manage several environmental ECAS annual, monthly and weekly reports in cooperation with regional CEMS manager for federal compliance.
   • Design, test, and implement PLC & SCADA programming to insure maintenance & production goals are meet.
   • Complete evaluation and modification of control systems including PLC programs, resulting in increase system efficiency and safety.
   • Develop a user interface utilizing excel and visual basic to push servo axis data into a programmable controller automatically using DDE.
   • Assist in the set-up of operator workstations with all associate software.
   • Install EMT, RMC, IMC, and PVC conduit.

   More electrical controls technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your electrical controls technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An electrical controls technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, electrical controls technicians' average salary in maine is 41% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level electrical controls technicians 44% less than senior-level electrical controls technicians.
   • Certifications. An electrical controls technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an electrical controls technician's salary.

   Average electrical controls technician salary

   $61,087yearly

   $29.37 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level electrical controls technician salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average electrical controls technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$73,382	$35
   2	Minnesota	$62,977	$30
   3	Georgia	$60,746	$29
   4	Wyoming	$59,685	$29
   5	Iowa	$58,957	$28
   6	Illinois	$57,783	$28
   7	Texas	$56,348	$27
   8	Missouri	$55,842	$27
   9	Pennsylvania	$55,428	$27
   10	Kansas	$54,497	$26
   11	North Carolina	$53,620	$26
   12	Montana	$53,384	$26
   13	Indiana	$52,511	$25
   14	Ohio	$52,294	$25
   15	South Carolina	$49,620	$24
   16	Louisiana	$48,862	$23
   17	Tennessee	$45,938	$22

   Average electrical controls technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bunge	$73,571	$35.37	3
   2	Sherwin-Williams	$69,842	$33.58	3
   3	Enbridge	$69,214	$33.28	10
   4	Michelman	$69,129	$33.24
   5	The Clorox Company	$68,425	$32.90	16
   6	Ingredion	$68,017	$32.70	6
   7	Pacifi	$67,770	$32.58	3
   8	Ferrara Candy	$67,640	$32.52	1
   9	The Hershey Company	$67,156	$32.29	10
   10	Owens Corning	$66,845	$32.14	9
   11	General Electric	$66,544	$31.99	27
   12	The Kraft Heinz Company	$66,140	$31.80	5
   13	General Mills	$65,792	$31.63	4
   14	First Solar	$65,667	$31.57	13
   15	Tesla	$64,807	$31.16	38
   16	Cummins	$64,256	$30.89	7
   17	Hearthside Food Solutions	$64,096	$30.82
   18	Xylem	$63,235	$30.40	14
   19	ESPO	$62,984	$30.28
   20	CyberCoders	$61,500	$29.57	21

4. Writing an electrical controls technician job description

   An electrical controls technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an electrical controls technician job description:

   Electrical controls technician job description example

   People are at the heart of our strategy
   A family-owned Group, Roquette offers a positive and attractive work and career environment, in which everyone can learn, develop, contribute to the overall company performance and be recognized for doing so.
   
   Job Description
   
   The Electrical & Controls Technician is an hourly, union position, located at the Roquette plant in Keokuk Iowa. The position reports to the Electrical & Controls Manager.
   
   Job Summary- Supports and adheres to all safety requirements- Responsible for maintenance and improvement of electrical system within Roquette- Knows and understands DCS (Distributed control system), and PLC- Technicians are expected to understand and work safely with up to 480 volt equipment on controls portion- Technicians are expected to understand and work safely with up to 14,000 volt equipment on the electrical portion- Only technicians that are “high voltage qualified” will work with high voltage (over 600 volts) equipment- Position requires to have a working knowledge and understanding of motor starters, VFD's (variable frequency drivers), control valves, KV valves, BMS (burner management systems), meters, switches, transmitters, and other control related devices- Preform in-depth testing and validation of these control devices utilizing a volt-ohm-meter, megger, amp meter, 475 filed communicator, and other test and configuration equipment- Assist in minimizing inventory cost through standardization and reducing unnecessary stock- Assist with the selection of most reliable hardware and wiring methods- Performs other duties assigned.Essential Functions and additional responsibilities- Wear designated PPE- Technician will assist in development of hardware systems designed to resolve process problems as well as support capital expansions- Position will work with Engineers in resolving plant electrical and controls maintenance issues as necessary.- Responsibilities include communication with production, quality, mechanical maintenance, and engineers in the area.- Responsible to understand plant-wide process control needs, and to assist in development as well as implementation of objectives of the E/C Maintenance group- This position is classified as a “worker” role and as such does not include direct supervision- Direct hands-on maintenance repairs and installation of equipment as required- Works with an integral process improvement, skills growth and automation of our company- Responsible to assist in job layout and maintenance of wiring and process related standards during installation- Position is not responsible for the supervision of contractors or workers, but will coordinate activities with them.- Responsible to assure that proper documentation has been done on all projects in an area and is responsible to maintain a working set of shop drawings for maintenance use.Accountabilities Satisfactory performance of his job yields the following results-- Learn the process in areas where work is assigned- Stay current with plant technology as well as industry-wide technologies related to E/C maintenance- Define personal training needs and work with supervision to address those needs- Keep abreast of emerging electrical and process control technology, evaluate it and make recommendations for implication- Solves process problems with input from work groups (process, quality control, environmental, mechanical maintenance, etc.) develop and implement permanent solutions to these problems- Develop and implement skill level improvements for themselves and other person in their group- Assist in development of standardized work methods, standardized hardware, and standardized system design (plant wide)- Completion of all projects and activities for which responsibility is assumed or assigned. Do this on time and under budget.- Recommend and preform preventative and predicative maintenance on E/C hardware installed as we all recommending improvements on existing equipment- Personal involvement with spare parts inventories for newly installed and existing systems with emphasis on minimum inventory and maximum benefit from that inventory Job Specifications- Owns the safety of self and others in the department- Prevent accidents by helping eliminate unsafe conditions and practices- Comply with our accident policy in both actions and spirit. Correct root problems of accidents and near misses- Assure the successful completion of each task the right way the first time and every time. Contribute to the development of standard wiring methods, standards programming methods, standard hardware lists, etc.…- Place and emphasis on compliance with environmental laws and ordinances- Prevent electrical and control equipment deterioration and repair procedures from causing environmental threats.- Make sure environmental systems compliance verification is done accurately, on time, and proper reporting is handled correctly.- Perform other duties as requested by supervisor
   
   Roquette provides numerous career opportunities, thanks to the diversity of its jobs and their international dimension.
   
   Joining Roquette means joining dynamic teams ambitious for success.
   
   Add Your Talent to Ours!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find electrical controls technicians for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit electrical controls technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 electrical controls technician

   Once you've selected the best electrical controls technician 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new electrical controls technician. 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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How much does it cost to hire an electrical controls technician?