How much does a controls engineer make?

The average controls engineer salary in the United States is $84,532. Controls engineer salaries typically range between $64,000 and $111,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for controls engineers is $40.64 per hour. Controls engineer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Controls engineers earn the highest average salary in California.

Controls engineer salary

Q: What state pays Controls Engineers the most?

California pays Controls Engineers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $106,451 per year, or $51.18 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a controls engineer?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a controls engineer if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Washington you should be paid close to $98,052 per year.

Q: Do engineers make 300K?

No, engineers do not typically make 300K. While the starting salary for engineers is high, average earnings in the US are typically between $67,000 - $156,000 a year. The average 2021 salary for engineers is $70,634. Income varies dramatically based on which field of engineering you are in and where you live.

Q: How much do control systems engineers make?

Control systems engineers make about $80,000 yearly or 38.70 hourly. As most jobs go, factors like location, company, and experience can determine your exact salary. On the lower end of the salary range, you may make around $62,000, typically for entry-level positions and working in low-paying states like Nebraska and Wisconsin. On the higher end, you can earn six-figure salaries at $103,000, typically for senior-level jobs. Some of the top-paying states are California, with an average salary of $109,825, and Texas, $101,965. Some of the top-paying companies are Valero Energy and Chevron, offering average wages above $126,000.

Average controls engineer salary

$84,532

$40.64 hourly rate

Entry-level controls engineer salary

$64,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Controls Engineer Salary

As of October 2025, the average Controls Engineer salary in the United States is approximately $84,532 per year. This figure varies significantly based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and industry sector. For instance, entry-level positions typically offer lower salaries, but skilled engineers with advanced experience can command significantly more.

Salary by Experience Level

For new professionals in the field, the starting salary may hover around $65,000. Meanwhile, those with several years of experience can expect salaries exceeding $100,000. This demonstrates the potential for salary growth in this career path.

Highest Paying States for Controls Engineers

States like California, Texas, and New York consistently report higher salary averages for Controls Engineers, largely due to the demand for automation and advanced manufacturing. In California, for example, engineers can earn upwards of $100,000, reflecting the state's tech-driven economy.

Conclusion

Understanding the financial aspects of a Controls Engineer's career helps you make informed career decisions. By assessing salary ranges and market demand, you can strategically navigate your career trajectory.

On this page

Controls engineer salary by:

Let Zippi find your next controls engineer job

Let Zippi find your next controls engineer job

Where can a Controls Engineer earn more?

Compare salary by location

143k

123k

103k

83k

63k

43k

Columbus, OH$113,824

Chattanooga, TN$72,626

Compare salary by company

154k

134k

114k

94k

74k

Apple$135,578

PPG$104,007

Controls engineer salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level controls engineer	$75,700	$36.37
Mid-level controls engineer	$94,100	$45.26
Senior-level controls engineer	$119,000	$57.14

Controls engineer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a controls engineer typically falls between $77,327 and $96,574.

zippia

$84,532yearly

glassdoor[1]

$96,488yearly

indeed[2]

$87,096yearly

comparably[3]

$89,828yearly

Salary.com[4]

$77,327yearly

ZipRecruiter[5]

$96,574yearly

payscale[6]

$83,222yearly

Average controls engineer salary by state

The highest-paying states for controls engineers are California, Washington, and New Mexico. The lowest average controls engineer salary states are Oregon, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for controls engineers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	California	$106,451	$51.18
2	Washington	$98,052	$47.14
3	New Mexico	$97,177	$46.72
4	Texas	$91,645	$44.06
5	Michigan	$87,552	$42.09
6	Massachusetts	$92,999	$44.71
7	Arizona	$88,028	$42.32
8	Virginia	$87,750	$42.19
9	Alabama	$84,871	$40.80
10	District of Columbia	$94,181	$45.28
11	Nevada	$88,793	$42.69
12	Rhode Island	$92,300	$44.38
13	Colorado	$85,462	$41.09
14	New Hampshire	$86,302	$41.49
15	North Dakota	$85,972	$41.33
16	Maryland	$87,406	$42.02
17	New Jersey	$90,661	$43.59
18	Alaska	$86,529	$41.60
19	Vermont	$84,989	$40.86
20	Delaware	$81,853	$39.35
21	Connecticut	$82,262	$39.55
22	Utah	$77,681	$37.35
23	Pennsylvania	$78,901	$37.93
24	Oklahoma	$82,313	$39.57
25	Arkansas	$79,779	$38.36
26	Idaho	$79,345	$38.15
27	Florida	$78,793	$37.88
28	Wyoming	$75,510	$36.30
29	New York	$78,824	$37.90
30	Hawaii	$82,814	$39.81
31	Ohio	$74,772	$35.95
32	Minnesota	$77,126	$37.08
33	Georgia	$76,277	$36.67
34	Illinois	$78,104	$37.55
35	North Carolina	$74,540	$35.84
36	Missouri	$77,296	$37.16
37	Mississippi	$76,101	$36.59
38	Indiana	$73,957	$35.56
39	Maine	$77,480	$37.25
40	Oregon	$70,458	$33.87
41	Iowa	$72,208	$34.72
42	Tennessee	$72,463	$34.84
43	West Virginia	$72,170	$34.70
44	Wisconsin	$64,507	$31.01
45	South Carolina	$72,605	$34.91
46	Nebraska	$72,067	$34.65
47	Kansas	$70,630	$33.96
48	Kentucky	$70,023	$33.66
49	Louisiana	$63,987	$30.76
50	Montana	$56,962	$27.39
51	South Dakota	$58,188	$27.98

Top controls engineer jobs near you

Highest paying cities for controls engineers

The highest-paying cities for controls engineers are Palo Alto, CA, Seattle, WA, and Austin, TX.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Palo Alto, CA	$113,824	$54.72
2	Seattle, WA	$98,772	$47.49
3	Austin, TX	$92,220	$44.34
4	Warren, MI	$87,697	$42.16
5	Roanoke, VA	$86,329	$41.50
6	Denver, CO	$85,308	$41.01
7	Birmingham, AL	$84,520	$40.63
8	Tulsa, OK	$81,800	$39.33
9	Orlando, FL	$79,269	$38.11
10	New York, NY	$78,960	$37.96
11	Chicago, IL	$78,194	$37.59
12	Erie, PA	$77,791	$37.40
13	Saint Louis, MO	$77,354	$37.19
14	Minneapolis, MN	$77,112	$37.07
15	Atlanta, GA	$76,263	$36.66
16	Columbus, MS	$75,242	$36.17
17	Raleigh, NC	$74,986	$36.05
18	Columbus, OH	$74,645	$35.89
19	Indianapolis, IN	$73,896	$35.53
20	Chattanooga, TN	$72,626	$34.92

Controls Engineers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Controls engineer salary details

A controls engineer's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $111,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average controls engineer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a controls engineer's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$111,000	$9,250	$53
75th Percentile	$97,000	$8,083	$47
Average	$84,532	$7,044	$41
25th Percentile	$73,000	$6,083	$35
10th Percentile	$64,000	$5,333	$31

Highest paying controls engineer jobs

The highest paying types of controls engineers are staff design engineer, senior controls engineer, and customer engineer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Electrical Designer	$64,930	$5,411	$31.22	82,332
Engineering Trainee	$60,235	$5,020	$28.96	79,966
Telecommunication Engineer	$80,789	$6,732	$38.84	28,331
Staff Design Engineer	$128,071	$10,673	$61.57	154,963
Radio Frequency Engineer	$88,301	$7,358	$42.45	35,158
Special Project Engineer	$70,934	$5,911	$34.10	90,999

Top companies hiring controls engineers now:

Which companies pay controls engineers the most?

Controls engineer salaries at Apple and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average controls engineer salary at companies like DoorDash and Zoox are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Apple	$135,578	$65.18
2	Google	$129,286	$62.16
3	DoorDash	$124,891	$60.04
4	Zoox	$121,881	$58.60
5	Intuitive Surgical	$121,199	$58.27
6	BP America Inc	$120,083	$57.73
7	Ross Stores	$116,648	$56.08
8	Phillips 66	$116,634	$56.07
9	Applied Materials	$112,809	$54.24
10	Rivian	$111,061	$53.39
11	PRO Unlimited	$109,579	$52.68
12	Uber Technologies	$108,484	$52.16
13	Karma Automotive	$108,204	$52.02
14	Koch Industries	$107,773	$51.81
15	Seres	$107,416	$51.64
16	Amazon	$107,112	$51.50
17	General Motors	$106,017	$50.97
18	Stanford University	$104,101	$50.05
19	Nikola Motor	$104,047	$50.02
20	PPG	$104,007	$50.00

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$84,000$83,200$82,400$81,600$80,800$80,000

MaleFemale

Controls Engineer salary by industry

The average controls engineer salary varies across industries:

The average controls engineer salary in the automotive industry is $94,308, the highest of any industry.
The average controls engineer salary in the finance industry is $85,530.
Controls engineers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $82,391, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for controls engineers

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Automotive	$94,308	$45.34
2	Technology	$85,530	$41.12
3	Manufacturing	$82,430	$39.63
4	Professional	$82,391	$39.61

High paying controls engineer jobs

Controls engineer salary trends

The average controls engineer salary has risen by $12,608 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average controls engineer earned $71,924 annually, but today, they earn $84,532 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for controls engineers over the last decade.

Compare controls engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average controls engineer salary over time

Compare controls engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Controls engineer salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$84,500	$40.64	+1.8%
2024	$83,000	$39.90	+2.7%
2023	$80,700	$38.81	+0.5%
2022	$80,300	$38.61	+2.9%
2021	$78,000	$37.49	+0.9%

Recently added controls engineer salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Carrier	Field Controls Engineer	Pine, AZ	06/30/2025	$63,028
Carrier	Field Controls Engineer	East Syracuse, NY	06/30/2025	$61,213
Jeppesen	Associate/Experienced Subsystem Modeling and Controls Engineer	Hazelwood, MO	06/30/2025	$95,200
Barry-Wehmiller	Controls Engineer	San Francisco, CA	06/30/2025	$100,000
Barry-Wehmiller	Controls Engineer	Portland, OR	06/30/2025	$80,000
Solectron Corp	Scada Controls Engineer	Buffalo Grove, IL	06/30/2025	$94,000
Kion Group	Controls Engineer-Commissioning	Wauwatosa, WI	06/30/2025	$82,875
Mdlz	Controls Engineer-Clif Bar	Twin Falls, ID	06/30/2025	$106,300
Freshpet Inc.	Controls Engineer	Ennis, TX	06/29/2025	$105,000
Lennox International	Controls Engineer	Stone Mountain, GA	06/29/2025	$102,000

Controls engineer salary FAQs

What state pays Controls Engineers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a controls engineer?

Do engineers make 300K?

How much do control systems engineers make?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for controls engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs