Designs and programs the control systems, including PLCs, sensors and HMIs, that automate factories, plants and machinery. BLS does not publish separate figures for manufacturing engineers; it counts them within manufacturing engineer (SOC 17-2112), whose median pay is $102,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 17-2112
- Architecture and Engineering
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Controls Engineer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $102,440a year, or $49.25/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $74KTop 10% $160K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +12.4%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+12.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +12.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 23,100365,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025365.1K
- Projected 2035410.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 365.1K Projected 2035 410.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college4%
- Associate's16%
- Bachelor's76%
- Professional degree4%
Highest education held by manufacturing engineers Segment Value Some college 4% Associate's 16% Bachelor's 76% Professional degree 4%
Also advertised as: Industrial Controls Engineer, Automation Controls Engineer, Instrumentation and Controls Engineer, PLC Controls Engineer, Automation and Controls Engineer.
Pay
How much do Manufacturing Engineers make?
Every controls engineer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$102,440
Middle half earn $83,600 to $129,250
- 10th
- $74,370
- 25th
- $83,600
- 75th
- $129,250
- 90th
- $159,860
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $74,370 |
| 25th | $83,600 |
| Median | $102,440 |
| 75th | $129,250 |
| 90th | $159,860 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $102,440
- Median hourly wage
- $49.25/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $109,900
- People employed
- 365,740
Versus all US occupations
At $102,440, Manufacturing Engineers earn 101% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $51,460 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
The median is typical for the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $104,110.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $159,860 or more while the bottom 10% earn $74,370, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 76% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $156,510, and still leads at $152,903 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Manufacturing Engineers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $156,510 | $152,903 | 220 |
| 2Washington | $129,050 | $120,593 | 6,130 |
| 3Oregon | $128,290 | $124,118 | 5,810 |
| 4New Mexico | $128,090 | $138,908 | 1,140 |
| 5California | $124,600 | $112,536 | 32,680 |
| 6Hawaii | $123,800 | $112,596 | 50 |
| 7Louisiana | $122,920 | $139,354 | 1,710 |
| 8Wyoming | $122,070 | $131,696 | 240 |
| 9Delaware | $120,190 | $120,421 | 820 |
| 10Maryland | $119,930 | $114,264 | 3,900 |
Job outlook
Is Controls Engineer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +12.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineers | +12.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Manufacturing Engineers to change 12.4% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.5× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 45,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 23,100 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 365,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Controls Engineer
A bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, chemical or mechatronics engineering is typical, and some engineers come up from technician roles with strong programming experience. Hands-on PLC programming is the most valued skill.
The International Society of Automation offers the Certified Automation Professional credential and publishes key standards, and the Control System Integrators Association connects integrators. A professional engineering license in control systems is available through NCEES. Experience with specific platforms such as Rockwell or Siemens is often listed in job postings, and many engineers build skills through internships with system integrators or plant maintenance groups.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as manufacturing engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree76%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree16%
- Some College Courses4%
- First Professional Degree4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 76% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 16% |
| Some College Courses | 4% |
| First Professional Degree | 4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Controls Engineer do?
Controls engineers make machines and processes run themselves. They design control panels, choose sensors and drives, and program PLCs, distributed control systems and operator screens so that production lines, packaging machines, chemical processes or water plants run safely and consistently.
They commission new equipment, debug logic on the plant floor, tune control loops, and add safety interlocks. Many work for system integrators that build automation for many clients, while others support a single plant. They also document systems so maintenance staff can support them after startup.
Day-to-day tasks
- Program PLCs and distributed control systems
- Design control panels and wiring diagrams
- Develop operator interface screens
- Commission and debug automated equipment
- Tune control loops for stable operation
- Implement safety interlocks and machine guarding logic
- Troubleshoot production downtime with maintenance teams
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Controls engineers split time between offices and plant floors, often traveling for commissioning at customer sites. Startups can involve long days, nights and weekends. Plant work requires safety gear and lockout procedures. Office time is spent on design, programming and testing in simulation before going live. When equipment is down, engineers may be called in at any hour to restore production.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Mathematics4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Writing3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Learning3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Systems Analysis3.8
- Systems Evaluation3.8
- Technology Design3.6
- Troubleshooting3.5
- Time Management3.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.8 |
| Technology Design | 3.6 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.5 |
| Time Management | 3.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Controls Engineer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRC) built on O*NET's Manufacturing Engineer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Controls Engineer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Realistic5.3
- Investigative5.0
- Conventional4.5
- Enterprising3.1
- Artistic2.2
- Social1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Controls Engineer
O*NET related occupations
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
- Management
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
More architecture and engineering careers
Median annual pay, with manufacturing engineers highlighted
- Aerospace Engineer$134,960
- Electrical Engineer$120,630
- Environmental Engineer$107,110
- Mechanical Engineer$104,110
- Automotive Engineer$104,110
- Industrial Engineer$102,440
- Controls Engineer$102,440
- Civil Engineer$100,840
- Architect$99,280
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 |
| Automotive Engineer | $104,110 |
| Industrial Engineer | $102,440 |
| Controls Engineer | $102,440 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 |
| Architect | $99,280 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Controls Engineer appears on
Questions
Controls Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Manufacturing Engineers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for manufacturing engineers. It counts them within manufacturing engineer, whose median pay is $102,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $83,600 and $129,250, and the top 10% earn $159,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Controls Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Manufacturing Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 76.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Controls Engineer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.4% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 23,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Controls Engineer do?
Controls engineers make machines and processes run themselves. A typical task: program PLCs and distributed control systems. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Manufacturing Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Manufacturing Engineers are Alaska ($156,510), Washington ($129,050), Oregon ($128,290) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Controls Engineer?
O*NET scores Manufacturing Engineers highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.