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Job outlook for senior controls engineers in the United States
Senior controls engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior controls engineer job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 9,800 new jobs for senior controls engineers are projected over the next decade.
Senior controls engineer salaries have increased 8% for senior controls engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 16,634 senior controls engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 39,440 active senior controls engineer job openings in the US.
The average senior controls engineer salary is $107,298.
Are senior controls engineer jobs in demand?
Senior controls engineer job and salary trends over time
Senior controls engineer jobs over time
Senior controls engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,634 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 18,653 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 19,525 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 20,247 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 20,319 | 0.01% |
Average senior controls engineer salary over time
Senior controls engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $107,298 | $51.59 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $105,332 | $50.64 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $102,468 | $49.26 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $101,950 | $49.01 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $98,986 | $47.59 | +1.0% |
Senior controls engineer jobs by state
Most common states for senior controls engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 313 | 45% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,395 | 16% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,032 | 15% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 846 | 14% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 773 | 14% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 132 | 14% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 987 | 13% |
| 8 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,888 | 12% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 823 | 12% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 372 | 12% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 474 | 11% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 149 | 11% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 62 | 11% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 508 | 9% |
| 15 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 446 | 9% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 66 | 9% |
| 17 | Vermont | 623,657 | 59 | 9% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 785 | 8% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 289 | 8% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 59 | 8% |
Most common cities for senior controls engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | 4 | 9% | $81,067 |
| 2 | Balch Springs | 2 | 8% | $114,534 |
| 3 | Colleyville | 2 | 8% | $114,609 |
| 4 | Carol Stream | 3 | 7% | $90,883 |
| 5 | Coppell | 2 | 5% | $114,507 |
| 6 | Bedford | 2 | 4% | $114,630 |
| 7 | Burleson | 2 | 4% | $114,880 |
| 8 | Cedar Hill | 2 | 4% | $114,734 |
| 9 | DeSoto | 2 | 4% | $114,696 |
| 10 | Livermore | 3 | 3% | $141,406 |
| 11 | Brooklyn Park | 2 | 3% | $93,445 |
| 12 | Arlington | 2 | 1% | $114,688 |
| 13 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $111,376 |
| 14 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $90,953 |
| 15 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $81,157 |
| 16 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $125,192 |
Senior Controls Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior controls engineer experts
Gonzaga University
Stevens Institute of Technology
California State University - Fresno
California State University - Fresno
University of Alabama at Birmingham
San Diego State University
University of Utah
Old Dominion University
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Wright State University
What Senior Controls 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 Controls 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 will help Senior Controls Engineers increase their earning potential?
Min Song: Have an open mind and be willing to learn new knowledge and skills. College education primarily focuses on the development of critical and creative thinking skills, the learning of fundamental principles and design methodologies, and the building up of enthusiasm and dedication to lifelong learning. Starting a professional career requires new graduates develop the ability to translate the knowledge and skills developed in school to solving complex, real-world problems.
What Senior Controls Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Hovannes Kulhandjian Ph.D.: Programming and Software Development: As technology advances, the integration of hardware and software becomes more prevalent. Familiarity with programming languages like Python, C++, or MATLAB can be beneficial. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These technologies are being increasingly used in electrical engineering applications such as signal processing, automation, and control systems. Data Analysis: The ability to interpret and analyze data from sensors and other sources will become more important as data-driven decision-making continues to grow. Cybersecurity: Protecting electrical systems from cyber threats is becoming increasingly important. Understanding cybersecurity principles can be a valuable asset. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaboration across different engineering disciplines and fields such as computer science, mechanical engineering, and environmental science will be essential for complex projects.
What Senior Controls 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 Senior Controls Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Arie Nakhmani: Electrical Engineering has always (from its inception) been a good profession to enter, but now it is better than ever. Now everything is becoming Electrical Engineering, and the world cannot survive without it even for a few days. Electrical Engineering is the most necessary profession for the survival of modern society.
What will help Senior Controls 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.
Florian Solzbacher
Department Chair, Professor, Elect & Computer EngineeringUniversity of Utah
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
What skills stand out on Senior Controls Engineer resumes?
Florian Solzbacher: Examples of having applied the knowledge gained in their studies to practical examples of solving engineering problems that require the combination of skills and at least some understanding of system engineering aspects are important signals that graduating engineers are ready to be productive in a real-world setting are always important. Obviously, participating in projects that address current "hot topic" problems, e.g., in robotics, AI/machine learning, power systems, biomedical applications, or that resonate with specific problems an employer is currently working on, will raise a student's profile.
Supplemental skills, such as Entrepreneurial or business training, can enhance and differentiate a student's resume. This shows that an engineer is not solely focused on the core technical engineering skills but does have an understanding of the driving forces and their interaction in a real-world business setting, that are not only part of the design requirements for a product (e.g., design to cost), but also often drive the selection of technical solution paths, after all, every development and product has to make business sense. Imagine two young engineers proposing a solution to their manager for a new product: one maybe even over-exceeds the technical requirements, but the development and/or manufacturing and servicing effort and cost is significantly higher than a colleagues solution that may only just about reach the requirements, or maybe even compromise on some specifications, but that is far cheaper to develop, make and service and that may allow entering a far larger market- chances are very high that the business may decide to go for the "inferior" solution from a technical point of view, that is, however, the better product. This supplemental skill set is a significant competitive advantage to have as an engineer.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Controls Engineers?
Michel Audette Ph.D.: My take on this is what I've seen with my wife's work in industry, which suggests that the industrial landscape is going to be increasingly equipped for, and open to, remote work. I think that the implication for graduates is that they may need to be flexible about working within a geographically distributed team. If company deciders feel that someone is worth employing because of a unique skill set, then they would typically be more willing to hire that person even if unable to make it to work regularly, if that is feasible given the nature of the work; some work, such as hardware testing or industrial production, may not lend itself to remote contributions.
Nonetheless, for those areas that accommodate geographically distributed activity, such as software development, graduates can expect to interact with team members all over the US, possibly all over the world, if someone is deemed unique enough to hire despite living abroad. This places a high premium on the ability and willingness to work in a heterogeneous team, where not only will members look different, but also have myriad accents in their English, which will also impose a certain adaptability and tolerance to team members.
A related impact could also be that global hiring will make it easier for multi-national companies to hire a portion of their talent in countries where wages are lower and motivate US-based engineers to seek out graduate degrees in order to increase their competitiveness and employability at US salaries.
Robert Saunders P.E.
Assistant Department HeadUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Electrical Engineering Department
What general advice would you give to a Senior Controls Engineer?
Robert Saunders P.E.: The job market for an electrical engineering student coming out of college is challenging right now. Many companies are still hiring electrical engineering students but, the students can't be as finicky about what jobs they are accepting. More than half of the students are starting their new jobs working remotely, which is a large shift from normal but the companies seem to be using this time to bring the new hires up to speed on policy, procedures, and industry regulations.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Controls Engineer?
Fred Garber Ph.D.: I think the primary question, in the minds of those who are yet to graduate or are still searching, is in regard to the strength of the technical job market, especially the local job market. But you are in a position to definitively answer that question.
In you article, I would ask that you address the following:
Number of employers looking to fill and number of job offerings in the region (by engineering and computer science major) compared to last year and to the previous five years.
Any noticeable differences in job descriptions Zippia is receiving relative to work environment, benefits, starting salaries, etc.
Many of our soon-to-graduate students would be very interested in these quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Additionally, vast numbers of potential students would benefit from such information to guide their career choices.