National pay breakdown: every percentile, annual & hourly
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey is the most authoritative wage dataset in the US, covering roughly 1.2 million establishments. The May 2025 release was published 2026-04-30. Here is the full national distribution for SOC 17-2199 (Engineers, All Other), which contains industrial automation, controls, and robotics engineers:
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $66,810 | $32.12/hr | First engineering role out of school, lower-cost market |
| 25th | $90,970 | $43.73/hr | 2-4 years experience, one PLC platform solid |
| 50th (median) | $122,930 | $59.10/hr | 5-10 years, full project ownership, one DCS or vertical |
| 75th | $158,090 | $76.01/hr | Senior engineer, pharma / fab / refining specialist |
| 90th | $189,950 | $91.32/hr | Validation lead, principal automation engineer, systems architect |
| Mean | $125,330 | $60.26/hr | Pulled above median by upper-tail systems engineers |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, national cross-industry estimate for SOC 17-2199 (national_M2025_dl.xlsx, released 2026-04-30).
The SOC caveat matters here. 17-2199 is a residual bucket. It catches every engineer specialty that did not earn a dedicated 2018 SOC, including automation, controls, robotics, mechatronics, packaging, systems, and biomedical-adjacent engineers. For the specific "Automation Engineer" job title, posted-wage data from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn Salary clusters tighter, roughly $95K-$130K base for mid-career industrial postings (after filtering out SDET / test automation listings). The BLS distribution still tells you the shape; the posted-wage cluster tells you where the title-specific concentration sits.
By experience level: entry, mid-career, and late-career
BLS does not publish wages by years-of-experience. The mapping below combines the BLS percentile distribution (authoritative for "what gets paid") with posted-wage data from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Salary.com filtered to industrial automation postings (informative for "by whom").
| Tier | Posted-wage avg | BLS percentile match | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (0-2 yr) | $72K-$88K base | ~10-25th | ABET BS, one PLC platform exposure, integrator or junior plant role |
| Mid (3-6 yr) | $95K-$120K base | ~25-50th | Full project ownership, one DCS or vertical (food, water, packaging) |
| Senior (7-12 yr) | $120K-$150K base | ~50-75th | Pharma CSV lead, refinery SIL specialist, or fab MES senior |
| Principal / Staff (13+ yr) | $150K-$190K base | ~75-90th | Systems architect, validation director, automation manager |
Posted-wage ranges aggregated from Indeed and ZipRecruiter listings filtered for industrial automation engineer (PLC/DCS/HMI), excluding SDET/QA automation. BLS percentile mapping per OEWS May 2025 for SOC 17-2199.
Where the upper-tail growth comes from: the jump from senior to principal usually requires either (a) becoming the validation owner for a regulated facility (pharma plant or biotech), (b) becoming the named architect on a multi-site DCS migration program, or (c) moving into automation management at a fab. Pure technical-depth growth without one of those structural moves tops out near the 75th percentile.
By state: where the wages run highest and where the jobs concentrate
Two different "best state" lists matter. The top-paying states for SOC 17-2199 are dominated by defense-aerospace clusters (Alabama / Huntsville, Virginia / DC metro, New Mexico / Sandia-Los Alamos) where the bucket captures systems engineers at very high pay grades. For industrial automation engineers specifically, the high-employment states (California, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Louisiana) carry most of the actual postings.
Top 10 states by mean annual wage
| Rank | State | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $151,130 | $162,070 | 2,190 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $146,600 | $151,920 | 3,560 |
| 3 | Alabama | $146,450 | $152,550 | 3,460 |
| 4 | Virginia | $145,830 | $148,160 | 5,060 |
| 5 | Alaska | $144,180 | $142,390 | 200 |
| 6 | California | $139,670 | $130,850 | 28,610 |
| 7 | Washington | $138,660 | $134,570 | 3,580 |
| 8 | Colorado | $134,930 | $132,590 | 2,540 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $134,140 | $131,260 | 2,850 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $133,380 | $132,450 | 4,540 |
Top 10 states by total employment
| Rank | State | Employment | Mean wage | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 28,610 | $139,670 | $130,850 |
| 2 | Texas | 10,820 | $121,890 | $115,810 |
| 3 | Florida | 8,600 | $110,430 | $105,410 |
| 4 | Michigan | 7,700 | $118,500 | $121,000 |
| 5 | Maryland | 7,340 | $129,030 | $129,770 |
| 6 | Ohio | 7,000 | $121,590 | $120,470 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 6,310 | $108,750 | $99,070 |
| 8 | New York | 5,760 | $124,360 | $117,600 |
| 9 | Virginia | 5,060 | $145,830 | $148,160 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 4,540 | $133,380 | $132,450 |
Source: BLS OEWS state estimates (May 2025), state_M2025_dl.xlsx. Total US employment for SOC 17-2199 is 154,070 per the national release.
Read the state list carefully. New Mexico, Alabama, Virginia, and DC top the wage table because of defense-aerospace systems engineering (Sandia, Los Alamos, Huntsville Redstone Arsenal, the DC defense-contractor belt), not because they pay the most for industrial automation work specifically. For pharma automation, target the New Jersey / Pennsylvania / Indiana / North Carolina / Massachusetts corridor (Merck, J&J, Lilly, Pfizer, Amgen, Biogen). For semiconductor fab automation, target Arizona (TSMC, Intel Chandler), Oregon (Intel Hillsboro), Texas (Samsung Austin, TI), and Idaho (Micron Boise). For refining and chemicals, target Louisiana, Texas Gulf Coast, and the Houston Ship Channel.
Louisiana is the under-discussed play: 6,310 SOC-17-2199 jobs at $108,750 mean, but the COL index per BEA Regional Price Parities runs ~91% of US average. For automation engineers willing to live in the Baton Rouge to Lake Charles refining corridor, the real wage compares favorably with high-COL California postings.
By metro: top-paying metro areas in the US
Metro-level data narrows further than state averages. The top-paying SOC-17-2199 metro in the US is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara at $171,140 mean (BLS OEWS May 2025), driven by semiconductor-equipment OEMs (Lam Research, Applied Materials, KLA), Tesla, and the Bay Area robotics startups. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ($162,570) and the Albuquerque (Sandia / Intel Rio Rancho) and Huntsville (Redstone / aerospace) clusters follow.
| Rank | Metro | Mean wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $171,140 | 4,970 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $162,570 | 4,850 |
| 3 | Charlottesville, VA | $151,940 | 50 |
| 4 | Albuquerque, NM | $151,910 | 1,110 |
| 5 | Lexington Park, MD | $151,780 | 1,020 |
| 6 | Huntsville, AL | $150,490 | 3,110 |
| 7 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $147,020 | 230 |
| 8 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $146,850 | 150 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $145,860 | 580 |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $145,090 | 9,230 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan area estimates (May 2025), MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx.
The largest metros by SOC-17-2199 employment are Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (9,230), Los Angeles (7,530), Detroit-Warren-Dearborn (5,800), New York-Newark-Jersey City (5,780), and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (4,970). Detroit ($122,070 mean) is the largest pure-industrial cluster, automotive controls and robotics dominate that metro and the wages are aligned with the national median rather than the upper-tail metros.
By industry: where the role pays the most
Industry assignment is the single biggest leverage point for SOC 17-2199 because the bucket spans regulated pharma, semiconductor, refining, aerospace, and general manufacturing, and the pay gap between those verticals is substantial. Per BLS OEWS May 2025 industry-level estimates:
| Industry | Mean wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $219,450 | 330 |
| Publishing Industries | $172,060 | 730 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $155,430 | 400 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $143,220 | 520 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $140,310 | 38,780 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $123,120 | 42,750 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $140,310 | 38,780 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $129,020 | 8,340 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $130,650 | 8,330 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $117,500 | 8,060 |
Top of table: top-paying industries. Bottom of table: largest-employing industries. Source: BLS OEWS industry-specific national estimates (May 2025).
Where industrial automation engineers actually cluster: the four high-employment industrial buckets you should care about (regardless of what the top-paying table looks like) are Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (42,750 jobs, $123,120 mean, captures system integrators like Maverick, Avanceon, JR Automation, Wood Group), Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (8,340 jobs, $129,020 mean, captures fab tool automation at Intel, Micron, semiconductor-equipment OEMs), Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (8,060 jobs, $117,500 mean, automotive controls at GM, Ford, Stellantis, Tesla, plus aerospace), and Oil and Gas Extraction ($155,430 mean for the smaller upstream bucket, even higher in refining-adjacent NAICS).
The pharma bucket does not appear cleanly in the table because BLS rolls pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing into broader NAICS that mixes with other chemical production. Triangulating from posted-wage data: pharma automation engineer base pay at Pfizer, Merck, Lilly, J&J, Amgen, Lonza, Genentech, Novartis, and GSK clusters at $115K-$145K, with senior validation roles past $150K. The GxP / 21 CFR Part 11 / computer-system-validation (CSV) skill stack is the moat.
Food, beverage, and CPG are the lowest-paying common industrial bucket for automation engineers. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Kraft Heinz, Mars, Tyson, Cargill, and ADM postings typically sit at $90K-$115K base, roughly 10-20% below pharma or semiconductor. The work is high-volume, schedule-driven, and often less platform-specialized.
By employer: what specific companies pay
BLS does not publish employer-specific wages. The ranges below pull from posted-wage data on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn Salary, plus company-disclosed comp where available. Treat as posting-derived ranges, not authoritative averages. All figures are base pay for industrial automation engineer titles (not SDET).
| Employer | Vertical | Posted base range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer | Pharma | $115K-$145K | DeltaV-heavy. Kalamazoo, Groton, Sanford sites are major automation hubs |
| Eli Lilly | Pharma | $115K-$145K | Indianapolis HQ; major capacity buildout drives ongoing hiring |
| Merck / J&J / Amgen | Pharma | $115K-$145K | CSV + GxP premium. Senior validation leads push $150K+ |
| Intel | Semi fab | $115K-$155K | Tool automation, MES, recipe management. Heavy on RSUs. AZ, OR, NM |
| TSMC Arizona | Semi fab | $115K-$150K | Phoenix N5 / N3 buildout. Rotating shifts; significant OT typical |
| Samsung Austin | Semi fab | $110K-$145K | Taylor, TX expansion; fab automation + AMHS roles |
| Micron | Semi fab | $105K-$140K | Boise + NY Clay fab buildout; growing automation org |
| ExxonMobil / Chevron | Oil & Gas | $115K-$150K | Process safety / SIL premium. Honeywell Experion-heavy |
| Dow / BASF / DuPont | Chemical | $105K-$140K | DeltaV and Experion both common; batch (ISA-88) at specialty sites |
| PepsiCo / Coca-Cola / Nestle | Food & bev | $90K-$120K | High volume, schedule-driven. Rockwell + Ignition common |
| System integrators (Maverick, Avanceon, JR Automation, Wood Group) | SI | $95K-$140K | Best resume-builder for early career; multi-vertical, multi-platform exposure |
| Black & Veatch / Burns & McDonnell | EPC (water, power) | $100K-$135K | Water/wastewater and power-gen automation; PE-eligible work |
Ranges aggregated from public job postings on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, and disclosed comp data where available, for industrial automation engineer titles. Base only, not total comp. Stock and bonus components at Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Pfizer, Lilly, ExxonMobil can add 10-30% to the base figures.
The pattern that matters: pharma and semiconductor fab automation pay the highest base for industrial automation engineers, food/bev and EPC sit near the BLS median, and system integrators are typically the best early-career resume builder (multi-vertical exposure plus travel that turns into per-diem income).
By specialization: what each skill stack is worth at posting time
Unlike technician roles, automation engineer pay is driven less by formal certifications and more by demonstrated platform depth plus regulated-industry skill stacks. Posted-wage data from Indeed and ZipRecruiter shows real pay deltas for specific specializations:
- Generalist PLC (Rockwell ControlLogix or Siemens TIA Portal): $95K-$120K base. The baseline mid-career posting.
- GxP / 21 CFR Part 11 / Computer System Validation (CSV) for pharma: $115K-$145K base, $150K+ for senior validation leads. The single highest-leverage skill stack for automation engineers in the US.
- Process safety / SIL / SIS (IEC 61511, TUV FSEng certified): $115K-$150K base in oil & gas and chemical. Functional safety engineer is a separately recruited niche.
- MES / OEE / Industry 4.0 (Aveva PI System / OSIsoft, Aveva System Platform, Rockwell FactoryTalk, Ignition by Inductive Automation): $110K-$140K base. Hot sub-skill with continued growth.
- Batch control / ISA-88 / S-88 (pharma, specialty chemical): $110K-$140K base. Often bundled with DeltaV depth.
- Emerson DeltaV specialist: $125K-$160K base. Dominant DCS in pharma and specialty chemical. Emerson Certified Professional credential adds resume weight.
- Honeywell Experion (PKS, LX) specialist: $125K-$160K base. Dominant DCS in refining, oil & gas, large chemical.
- Semiconductor fab tool automation / MES (SEMI standards, recipe management, AMHS integration): $115K-$155K base at Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron.
- PE license (Control Systems Engineering, NCEES CSE exam): adds $5K-$15K to base for plant-engineering and EPC roles, required for some water/wastewater and public-sector work.
See our full mechatronics and automation certification guide for the credential-by-credential cost, length, and employer-recognition breakdown.
Year-over-year wage trend
BLS OEWS releases roll one year at a time. Here is how SOC 17-2199 pay has moved across the last three releases:
| Data period | Median annual | YoY change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | $110,460 | n/a | Baseline |
| May 2024 | $117,490 | +6.4% | CHIPS Act fab construction surge, pharma capacity buildout |
| May 2025 | $122,930 | +4.6% | Continued growth, demand strongest in pharma + semi + functional safety |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2023, May 2024, and May 2025 national releases for SOC 17-2199.
For context: BLS employment projections for engineering occupations overall show +6% growth 2024-2034, with controls/automation-adjacent roles expected to grow faster as fab construction and pharma capacity expansion continue. ARC Advisory Group and ISA surveys flag process-safety (SIL/SIS) and MES/Industry 4.0 platform specialists as the highest-demand sub-skills in 2026.
How to push your automation engineer salary higher: three real levers
Lever 1: Move into pharma for the GxP / CSV premium
Pharma is the single highest-paying vertical for industrial automation engineers in the US, and the premium is documented. Posted-wage data at Pfizer, Merck, Eli Lilly, J&J, Amgen, Lonza, Genentech, Novartis, and GSK clusters at $115K-$145K base, with senior validation roles past $150K. The differentiator is documentation competence: GxP awareness, 21 CFR Part 11 (electronic records / signatures), 21 CFR 820 (medical-device QSR), and full computer-system-validation (CSV) lifecycle work (URS, FRS, FDS, IQ/OQ/PQ). A general controls engineer with 5 years of food-and-bev experience can usually transition into pharma by joining a pharma-focused system integrator first (CRB, IPS, Genesis AEC, Avanceon) for 2-3 years, then moving direct. The CSV skill stack does not transfer back, but very few people want to leave once they have it.
Lever 2: Go deep on a single DCS (DeltaV or Experion)
Generalist PLC programmers are the bulk of the automation labor supply, so the wage curve flattens after year 5. Deep DCS specialization is the unlock. Emerson DeltaV (pharma, specialty chemical) and Honeywell Experion (refining, oil & gas, large chemical) are the two highest-leverage choices. Posted-wage data plus ISA salary surveys put certified DeltaV and Experion engineers at $125K-$160K base mid-career, materially above generalist PLC postings. The path: pick one platform, get vendor training (Emerson Educational Services or Honeywell University), work two or three projects on it, then add the vendor certified-professional credential. Once you are the person the EPC firm or integrator calls back for that platform, your pricing power is set.
Lever 3: Move into semiconductor fab automation
Fab tool automation, MES, and recipe management is a distinct niche from plant-floor DCS work, and CHIPS Act construction has expanded hiring sharply at Intel (Chandler, Hillsboro, Rio Rancho, Ohio One), TSMC Arizona, Samsung (Austin, Taylor), Micron (Boise, NY Clay), and GlobalFoundries (Malta). Posted-wage data puts mid-career fab automation engineers at $115K-$155K base, plus stock that pushes total comp materially higher at Intel and TSMC. The skill bridge from general industrial automation is roughly 6-12 months: pick up SEMI standards (E10, E30 GEM/SECS, E40, E87), one MES platform (Applied Materials APF, Camstar, Critical Manufacturing), and AMHS familiarity, then target a fab automation engineer or process integration engineer posting at a CHIPS-funded site.
Automation engineer salary vs adjacent roles
Useful for orienting your next career move:
| Role | SOC | BLS median | Education to get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation Engineer (industrial, you) | 17-2199 | $122,930 | ABET BS (EE, ME, ChE, ECET) |
| Controls Engineer | 17-2199 | $122,930 | ABET BS; overlaps heavily with automation |
| Robotics Engineer | 17-2199 | $122,930 | ABET BS + robotics specialization |
| Automation Technician (non-engineer) | 17-3024 | $73,900 | AAS or industry certs |
| Mechanical Engineer | 17-2141 | $104,110 | ABET-EAC BS + FE |
| Electrical Engineer | 17-2071 | $120,630 | ABET-EAC BS + FE |
| Test Automation Engineer / SDET | 15-1253 | ~$110K-$135K | CS / SE degree + framework fluency (different career entirely) |
All BLS medians from OEWS May 2025. Industrial automation, controls, and robotics engineer all share SOC 17-2199, so the headline median is identical even though posted-wage clusters differ by title and vertical.
Two clean step-ups from the generalist automation engineer baseline: (1) move into a regulated vertical (pharma CSV, refinery functional safety) for a structural $20K-$30K base jump, or (2) build automation manager / principal automation engineer scope and clear $150K-$190K base. See our controls engineer career guide and automation engineer career guide for the role-by-role bridge.
Frequently asked questions
Is an industrial automation engineer the same as a test automation engineer (SDET)?
What is the average automation engineer salary in 2026?
Why does BLS group automation, controls, and robotics engineers under one SOC?
What does an automation engineer earn in pharma vs general manufacturing?
How much do semiconductor fab automation engineers make at Intel or TSMC?
Which DCS platform pays the most to specialize in?
Are automation engineer wages growing?
Sources & methodology
All wage and employment data on this page is sourced from primary US government publications, ISA / ARC industry surveys, and posted-wage aggregators, retrieved 2026-05-28:
- BLS OEWS, 17-2199 Engineers, All Other, May 2025 national release. Contains industrial automation, controls, robotics, mechatronics, and systems engineers.
- BLS OEWS state-level estimates (oesm25st.zip), used for state tables.
- BLS OEWS metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma.zip), used for metro tables.
- BLS OEWS industry-level estimates (oesm25in4.zip), used for industry tables.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (Architecture & Engineering), for 2024-2034 employment projections.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, for cost-of-living context in state and metro discussion.
- International Society of Automation (ISA), for DCS specialization and functional safety wage context.
- ARC Advisory Group, for MES / Industry 4.0 / process-safety demand signal.
- ZipRecruiter, Automation Engineer, used for posted-wage range data after filtering industrial-only postings.
- Indeed, Automation Engineer, used for posted-wage cross-check at employer level.
Employer-specific ranges are posting-derived and reflect base pay for industrial automation engineer titles (not SDET / test automation). Total compensation at Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and ExxonMobil can exceed the base ranges shown by 10-30% via stock, bonus, and shift differential.