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What is a senior control systems engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Craig Johnson Ph.D., P.E.

The design, implementation, and maintenance of dynamic control systems in large enterprises is the responsibility of the senior control system engineer. They give these rapidly evolving processes reliability. Control systems engineering, or often known as control engineering, is an engineering discipline that uses control theory to build and design systems that are connected to mechanical and electrical engineering.

Control engineering is the key in a lot of user control systems like a basic dishwasher. These processes operate with minimal or even no human intervention. Senior control system engineers require a profound understanding of the systems they wish to create in order to design a full control system, which could include talking to the staff who run the machines and the engineers who designed them.

After the machine has been built, senior control system engineers instruct workers on how to operate the system and how to cope with future problems. They usually lead teams including other technicians and engineers. In addition, senior control system engineers change and develop existing systems to make them safer, more reliable, and cheaper.

What general advice would you give to a senior control systems engineer?

Craig Johnson Ph.D., P.E.

Professor Emeritus, Website

To begin your career in our field, please know that there are some shared values, some behavior constraints, and some awesome possible career paths for you to explore! Our program is accredited through ABET, which means that you can acquire your Professional Engineering licensure. Along with licensure are ethics compliance and legal behavior. You must put safety as a first constraint in all work. Create great technical solutions to real problems that may affect us all. Politics and company policies evolve, and we must evolve with them. New finance realities dictate that you will be more active in both seeking new jobs and changing jobs to promote your careers. You are at the center of many crossroads of technical activity that present options for your path forward.
ScoreSenior Control Systems EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $109,721

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.7

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 14.93%

Black or African American 4.82%

Hispanic or Latino 11.20%

Unknown 4.70%

White 64.16%

Gender

female 6.90%

male 93.10%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Senior control systems engineer career paths

Key steps to become a senior control systems engineer

  1. Explore senior control systems engineer education requirements

    Most common senior control systems engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.8 %

    Master's

    17.8 %

    Associate

    7.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior control systems engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    MATLAB11.13%
    C++8.76%
    Project Management8.33%
    HMI7.67%
    Process Control4.47%
  3. Complete relevant senior control systems engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior control systems 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 senior control systems engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior control systems engineer resumes.
  4. Research senior control systems engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead the development of smarter controls utilizing DeviceNet and Profibus architecture.
    • Define control system philosophies, I/O lists, site network diagrams, approve SWD, create logic and HMI code.
    • Analyze and resolve Ethernet network issues.
    • Review compressor controls, hazop and cause & effect analyses.
  5. Get senior control systems engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior control systems engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior control systems engineer include control systems engineer, project engineer team lead and instrumentation & control engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior control systems engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior control systems 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 senior control systems 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 senior control systems engineer resume templates

    Build a professional senior control systems 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 senior control systems engineer resume.
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    Senior Control Systems Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for senior control systems engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior control systems 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 senior control systems engineer job

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Average senior control systems engineer salary

The average senior control systems engineer salary in the United States is $109,721 per year or $53 per hour. Senior control systems engineer salaries range between $84,000 and $142,000 per year.

Average senior control systems engineer salary
$109,721 Yearly
$52.75 hourly

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Senior control systems engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
Pros

Great pay and work conditions for this position.

Cons

Some travel is typically required at every job.


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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.

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