Post job

What is a manufacturing controls engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Jerry Leth,
David Blunck Ph.D.

A manufacturing Control Engineer is a specialist whose job is to plan, put to practice, and ensure processes that increase productivity. Functioning in this capacity means you must use your skill to analyze strategies and design new equipment and systems which will help improve the company's productivity.

Your job is to oversee and ensure all equipment maintenance and ascertaining that they are in good order. Every successful manufacturing Control Engineer must meet safety and quality standards as they go about their duties. It is therefore essential that you have adequate knowledge about electronics, engineering, and mechanics.

However, to become a manufacturing Control Engineer, a bachelor's degree in manufacturing engineering is required alongside some skill. For instance, you should understand the principles behind automatic control and be skilled in identifying and solving problems. The average salary of a manufacturing Control Engineer is roughly $88,268 per year.

What general advice would you give to a manufacturing controls engineer?

Jerry LethJerry Leth LinkedIn profile

VP/General Manager, MANA

We are the Manufacturers' Agents National Association, a trade association of independent manufacturers' representative businesses. We will address this question from that perspective.
To a recent college graduate, a question I pose is, "Am I going to be happier and more satisfied working for someone? Or would I be more satisfied if I embarked on a path that leads me to own my own business?"
If the answer is owning your own business, consider looking for employment as an outside salesperson for an existing manufacturers' representative business. Our average member employs six outside salespersons, and the largest employs 160. Starting out as an employee provides an opportunity to learn about the business while earning an income. When you are ready, many manufacturers' representative firms offer ownership opportunities to employees, or you may choose to move on and start your own business. Either way, you achieve your goal of owning and running your own business.
ScoreManufacturing Controls EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $96,327

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 10.05%

Black or African American 4.82%

Hispanic or Latino 11.85%

Unknown 3.96%

White 69.13%

Gender

female 18.22%

male 81.78%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Manufacturing controls engineer career paths

Key steps to become a manufacturing controls engineer

  1. Explore manufacturing controls engineer education requirements

    Most common manufacturing controls engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.1 %

    Master's

    14.5 %

    Associate

    8.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific manufacturing controls engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    PLC9.33%
    CNC7.92%
    Lean Manufacturing6.93%
    HMI6.26%
    Control Systems4.88%
  3. Complete relevant manufacturing controls engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New manufacturing controls engineers 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 manufacturing controls engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manufacturing controls engineer resumes.
  4. Research manufacturing controls engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead ERP implementations, cost conversions and system upgrades.
    • Lead systems integration for existing equipment involving PLC code, HMI development and motion control system modifications.
    • Manage all aspects of weekly payroll processing and internal allocations.
    • Lead several independent, cross-functional projects and improve manufacturing quality, reduce cost, ensure environment are supported and FDA compliant.
  5. Prepare your manufacturing controls engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manufacturing controls engineer 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 manufacturing controls engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable manufacturing controls engineer resume templates

    Build a professional manufacturing controls engineer 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 manufacturing controls engineer resume.
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
    Manufacturing Controls Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for manufacturing controls engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a manufacturing controls engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first manufacturing controls engineer job

Zippi

Are you a manufacturing controls engineer?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average manufacturing controls engineer salary

The average manufacturing controls engineer salary in the United States is $96,327 per year or $46 per hour. Manufacturing controls engineer salaries range between $73,000 and $125,000 per year.

Average manufacturing controls engineer salary
$96,327 Yearly
$46.31 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do manufacturing controls engineers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Manufacturing controls engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Improve 5's & increase productivity, manpower reduction...n+/- concept..

Cons

Can be managed accordingly situation.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills

Cons

Stakeholders missing deadlines


Working as a manufacturing controls engineer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse architecture and engineering jobs