SALARY DATA
Industrial automation salaries
Pay for controls, automation and SCADA roles, calculated from salary ranges employers publish in their own job postings over the last 12 months. No surveys, no self-reported numbers and no estimates. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
| Role | Median | Middle 50% | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation engineer salary | $155,000 | $133,000–$173,000 | 40 |
| Controls engineer salary | $150,000 | $133,000–$168,000 | 41 |
| PLC programmer salary | $155,000 | $133,000–$172,000 | 79 |
| SCADA engineer salary | $150,000 | $149,000–$183,000 | 7 |
| Instrumentation & controls engineer salary | $159,000 | $147,000–$192,000 | 22 |
| OT engineer salary | $178,000 | $160,000–$206,000 | 8 |
| Automation technician salary | $45.00/hr | $40.50–$52.50 | 11 |
Medians use the midpoint of each posting’s range; salaried roles are per year, technicians per hour. Roles with fewer than 5 postings show no summary. Titles overlap: an “Automation & Controls Engineer” counts toward both automation and controls engineer.