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Automation & controls engineer salary
Average automation & controls engineer salary
$89,542
Understanding the Automation & Controls Engineer Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Automation & Controls Engineer is approximately $89,542 annually. This figure can fluctuate significantly depending on factors such as experience level, geographic location, and the specific industry.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level engineers may earn around $68,000, while those with over ten years of experience can command salaries exceeding $110,000. This variance underscores the potential for career advancement in this field.
Regional Salary Differences
Location plays a substantial role in salary determination. States like California and Texas offer higher average salaries compared to others. Cities such as San Francisco and Houston are known for competitive pay scales, reflecting the demand for skilled engineers in automation and controls.
Job Opportunities
Automation & Controls Engineers are in high demand across various sectors, including manufacturing, energy, and technology. As industries increasingly adopt automation technologies, the need for qualified professionals continues to grow, making this an excellent career choice for job seekers.
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Where can an Automation & Controls Engineer earn more?
Automation & controls engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level automation & controls engineer | $80,100 | $38.53 |
| Mid-level automation & controls engineer | $99,700 | $47.94 |
| Senior-level automation & controls engineer | $126,000 | $60.53 |
Average automation & controls engineer salary by state
The average automation & controls engineer salary in California, Nevada, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average automation & controls engineer salary states are Nebraska, Montana, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for automation & controls engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $116,240 | $55.88 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $115,740 | $55.64 |
| 3 | Washington | $97,895 | $47.06 |
| 4 | Nevada | $97,970 | $47.10 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $94,320 | $45.35 |
| 6 | Texas | $92,065 | $44.26 |
| 7 | Idaho | $96,595 | $46.44 |
| 8 | Utah | $87,595 | $42.11 |
| 9 | Vermont | $94,669 | $45.51 |
| 10 | Illinois | $90,954 | $43.73 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $95,519 | $45.92 |
| 12 | Maryland | $88,603 | $42.60 |
| 13 | Delaware | $87,298 | $41.97 |
| 14 | Virginia | $86,191 | $41.44 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $95,347 | $45.84 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $87,760 | $42.19 |
| 17 | Ohio | $85,660 | $41.18 |
| 18 | Michigan | $81,811 | $39.33 |
| 19 | Georgia | $84,150 | $40.46 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $85,783 | $41.24 |
| 21 | Alabama | $80,929 | $38.91 |
| 22 | Alaska | $89,130 | $42.85 |
| 23 | Indiana | $81,781 | $39.32 |
| 24 | Arizona | $82,136 | $39.49 |
| 25 | Colorado | $82,761 | $39.79 |
| 26 | Florida | $84,855 | $40.80 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $83,756 | $40.27 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $87,751 | $42.19 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $83,795 | $40.29 |
| 30 | Missouri | $83,817 | $40.30 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $79,429 | $38.19 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $81,190 | $39.03 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $80,546 | $38.72 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $80,148 | $38.53 |
| 35 | Kansas | $79,304 | $38.13 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $79,316 | $38.13 |
| 37 | New York | $80,286 | $38.60 |
| 38 | Oregon | $73,079 | $35.13 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $76,769 | $36.91 |
| 40 | Iowa | $71,217 | $34.24 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $77,005 | $37.02 |
| 42 | Maine | $77,645 | $37.33 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $76,689 | $36.87 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $74,167 | $35.66 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $76,095 | $36.58 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $59,229 | $28.48 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $70,407 | $33.85 |
| 48 | Montana | $64,376 | $30.95 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $64,028 | $30.78 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $59,120 | $28.42 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $60,765 | $29.21 |
Highest paying cities for automation & controls engineers
The highest-paying cities for automation & controls engineers are San Carlos, CA, Sparks, NV, and San Antonio, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Carlos, CA | $125,083 | $60.14 |
| 2 | Sparks, NV | $100,060 | $48.11 |
| 3 | San Antonio, TX | $92,965 | $44.69 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $91,084 | $43.79 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | $87,148 | $41.90 |
| 6 | Richmond, VA | $86,115 | $41.40 |
| 7 | Wooster, OH | $86,015 | $41.35 |
| 8 | Clearwater, FL | $85,856 | $41.28 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $84,106 | $40.44 |
| 10 | Albuquerque, NM | $83,724 | $40.25 |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $82,881 | $39.85 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $82,259 | $39.55 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $81,667 | $39.26 |
| 14 | Danbury, CT | $81,146 | $39.01 |
| 15 | Greensboro, NC | $79,418 | $38.18 |
| 16 | Kansas City, KS | $79,229 | $38.09 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh, PA | $79,187 | $38.07 |
| 18 | Columbus, MS | $75,825 | $36.45 |
| 19 | Hillsboro, OR | $73,023 | $35.11 |
| 20 | Richmond, KY | $59,261 | $28.49 |
Automation & controls engineer salary details
An automation & controls engineer's salary ranges from $68,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $116,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an automation & controls engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| Average | $89,542 | $7,462 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
Highest paying automation & controls engineer jobs
The highest paying types of automation & controls engineers are staff design engineer, senior controls engineer, and customer engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Trainee | $60,235 | $5,020 | $28.96 | 79,966 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Electrical Design Engineer | $83,944 | $6,995 | $40.36 | 87,121 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
| Radio Frequency Engineer | $88,301 | $7,358 | $42.45 | 35,158 |
| Special Project Engineer | $70,934 | $5,911 | $34.10 | 90,999 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for automation & controls engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring automation & controls engineers now:
Which companies pay automation & controls engineers the most?
Automation & controls engineer salaries at Integrated DNA Technologies and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average automation & controls engineer salary at companies like Rivian and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Integrated DNA Technologies | $119,975 | $57.68 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $119,464 | $57.43 |
| 3 | Rivian | $118,121 | $56.79 |
| 4 | Amazon | $115,654 | $55.60 |
| 5 | Cepheid | $115,267 | $55.42 |
| 6 | Koch Industries | $114,423 | $55.01 |
| 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 |
| 12 | Masimo | $104,991 | $50.48 |
| 13 | Peregrine Pharmaceuticals | $104,536 | $50.26 |
| 14 | Joby Aviation | $103,288 | $49.66 |
| 15 | Oshkosh | $103,271 | $49.65 |
| 16 | BioMarin | $102,642 | $49.35 |
| 17 | P&G | $102,490 | $49.27 |
| 18 | Kaiser Aluminum | $101,684 | $48.89 |
| 19 | Stanley Black & Decker | $100,490 | $48.31 |
| 20 | Intel | $100,424 | $48.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Automation & Controls Engineer salary by industry
The average automation & controls engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average automation & controls engineer salary in the automotive industry is $105,465, the highest of any industry.
- The average automation & controls engineer salary in the finance industry is $96,314.
- Automation & controls engineers in the construction industry earn an average salary of $85,215, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for automation & controls engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $105,465 | $50.70 |
| 2 | Health Care | $96,314 | $46.30 |
| 3 | Technology | $87,797 | $42.21 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $85,809 | $41.25 |
| 5 | Construction | $85,215 | $40.97 |
High paying automation & controls engineer jobs
Automation & controls engineer salary trends
The average automation & controls engineer salary has risen by $13,355 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average automation & controls engineer earned $76,187 annually, but today, they earn $89,542 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for automation & controls engineers over the last decade.
Compare automation & controls engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average automation & controls engineer salary over time
Compare automation & controls engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Automation & controls engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,500 | $43.05 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $87,900 | $42.26 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $85,500 | $41.11 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $85,100 | $40.90 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $82,600 | $39.71 | +0.9% |
Recently added automation & controls engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lsi Solutions Inc. | Automation Controls Engineer III or SR. (Days 8AM To 5PM) | Victor, NY | 06/29/2025 | $120,000 |
| Pierce Manufacturing | Automation and Controls Engineer-Principal | Dodge Center, MN | 06/28/2025 | $91,800 |
| Actalent | Automation Controls Engineer | Terrell, TX | 06/28/2025 | $95,000 |
| Carrier | Associate Controls Engineer-Automated Logic-Building Automation (BAS) | Chicopee, MA | 06/27/2025 | $63,028 |
| Automation Outfitters, Inc. | Automation/Controls Engineer | Jonesboro, AR | 06/27/2025 | $55,000 |
| Actalent | Automation Engineer Data & Controls | Portland, OR | 06/25/2025 | $104,350 |
| Akkodis E&T, LLC | Automation Control Engineer | Mesquite, TX | 06/24/2025 | $95,000 |
| All World MacHinery Supply | Automation Controls Engineer | Johnson Creek, WI | 06/24/2025 | $70,000 |
| Invitrogen Holdings | SR. Automation Controls Engineer | Carlsbad, CA | 06/24/2025 | $91,700 |
| Johnson Controls | Impact Fly Team: Elite Automation & Controls Strike Force | Orlando, FL | 06/21/2025 | $64,697 |
Automation & controls engineer salary FAQs
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