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Job outlook for senior control systems engineers in the United States
Senior control systems engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior control systems engineer job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 9,800 new jobs for senior control systems engineers are projected over the next decade.
Senior control systems engineer salaries have increased 8% for senior control systems engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,810 senior control systems engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 154,439 active senior control systems engineer job openings in the US.
The average senior control systems engineer salary is $109,721.
Are senior control systems engineer jobs in demand?
Senior control systems engineer job and salary trends over time
Senior control systems engineer jobs over time
Senior control systems engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,810 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,490 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,781 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 6,019 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,056 | 0.00% |
Average senior control systems engineer salary over time
Senior control systems engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $109,721 | $52.75 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $107,711 | $51.78 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $104,783 | $50.38 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $104,252 | $50.12 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $101,222 | $48.66 | +1.0% |
Senior control systems engineer jobs by state
Most common states for senior control systems engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 675 | 97% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,739 | 44% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,329 | 38% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 474 | 35% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,266 | 33% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,801 | 32% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 289 | 30% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 182 | 29% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,101 | 28% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 161 | 28% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,113 | 27% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 849 | 27% |
| 13 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,288 | 26% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 196 | 26% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,365 | 24% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 255 | 24% |
| 17 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,618 | 23% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 472 | 23% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 172 | 23% |
| 20 | California | 39,536,653 | 8,517 | 22% |
Most common cities for senior control systems engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo | 3 | 3% | $99,896 |
| 2 | Cupertino | 2 | 3% | $134,093 |
| 3 | Billerica | 1 | 2% | $108,208 |
| 4 | East Hartford | 1 | 2% | $97,047 |
| 5 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $84,400 |
| 6 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $108,384 |
| 7 | Carlsbad | 1 | 1% | $120,323 |
| 8 | Dearborn | 1 | 1% | $105,972 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids | 1 | 1% | $104,951 |
| 10 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $106,740 |
| 11 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $108,555 |
| 12 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $99,713 |
| 13 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $134,140 |
| 14 | Gilbert | 1 | 0% | $106,374 |
| 15 | Henderson | 1 | 0% | $117,578 |
| 16 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $114,745 |
| 17 | Huntington Beach | 1 | 0% | $121,910 |
| 18 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $81,702 |
Senior Control Systems Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior control systems engineer experts
Gonzaga University
Stevens Institute of Technology
California State University - Fresno
San Diego State University
What general advice would you give to a Senior Control Systems Engineer?
Craig Johnson Ph.D., P.E.: 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.
What will help Senior Control Systems Engineers increase their earning potential?
Craig Johnson Ph.D., P.E.: Master basic science and engineering concepts, as well as application of 'soft skills' such as written and verbal communication. Acquire skills and knowledge areas in electromechanical devices, especially in areas of energy and heat transfer, reflecting current issues related to climate change and power management.
What Senior Control Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Steven Schennum Ph.D. P.E.: The most important skill is the ability to learn new things, and especially to unlearn things you “know” after evidence demonstrates that these things are not true. Learn how to analyze information. Your intuition, simulations, and results should all be in alignment. If they are not, then dig deeper. Learn the terminology and jargon specific to your company and your projects. Spend time reading. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by new software.
What Senior Control Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Min Song: Communication skills and innovative thinking skills. As emerging technologies continue to be complex and multidisciplinary, it’s important to be able to communicate with professionals in diverse disciplines. Taking robotics, for example, the electrical engineer must be able to work with mechanical and biomechanical engineers, computer engineers, software engineers, artificial intelligence experts, cognitive scientists, system engineers, etc. A person will be able to generate innovative ideas only if the person has a complete and comprehensive understanding of the entire system and can work well with other individuals with a range of expertise.
What Senior Control Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aaron Stillmaker Ph.D.: I think that in the next 3-5 years electrical engineering jobs will start to require more programming, especially scripting languages like Python, and artificial intelligence. Machine learning is becoming prevalent in many fields, and likely most prevalent in electrical and computer engineering. A baseline understanding of the theory of machine learning is something that all electrical and computer engineers should have when entering the job market.
What will help Senior Control Systems Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Arif Engin: Electrical engineers solve problems by skillfully applying mathematics and science. Electrical engineering classes are challenging at college, and electrical engineers must embrace lifelong learning to remain at the top of their skills. In the end, seeing the results of their work in a finished product is a rewarding experience.