Salary guide, May 2025
Automation Manager pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in the United States was $171,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $139,360 and $212,500.
Broader occupation · SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $120,810 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 | $262,760 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $58.08 | $67.00 | $82.34 | $102.16 | $126.33 |
BLS estimated 220,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $167,160 | $132,350 to $203,900 | 1,610 | 0.4 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $169,310 | $137,270 to $205,740 | 1,480 | 0.72 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $177,990 | $158,600 to $213,580 | 1,780 | 0.89 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $169,780 | $139,040 to $208,590 | 1,850 | 1.76 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $183,890 | $157,290 to $222,800 | 7,580 | 0.56 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $183,890 | $157,290 to $222,800 | 7,580 | 0.56 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $172,160 | $141,460 to $219,080 | 5,970 | 1.04 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $163,430 | $133,100 to $200,400 | 6,670 | 1.04 |
Rank every metro for Automation Manager
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$179,720
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$178,170
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$176,340
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$169,200
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$168,900
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$167,160
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$163,680
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$162,240
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$162,200
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$160,140
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$154,710
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$145,920
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$145,770
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$143,560
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$140,590
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 77,280 | $137,220 | $169,690 | $210,340 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 19,820 | $158,830 | $179,720 | $219,310 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 18,950 | $149,140 | $176,340 | $215,580 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 11,930 | $130,970 | $162,200 | $196,430 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 11,760 | $169,310 | $192,800 | $220,610 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 9,080 | $158,840 | $177,090 | $216,340 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 8,580 | $130,920 | $160,430 | $192,970 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 7,670 | $161,720 | $183,950 | $225,030 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 5,310 | $137,290 | $168,900 | $199,930 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 5,270 | $122,050 | $140,510 | $169,040 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 4,190 | $137,590 | $169,200 | $206,810 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 4,150 | $132,920 | $160,140 | $192,140 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 4,120 | $129,410 | $157,330 | $174,550 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 3,240 | $144,010 | $171,190 | $210,000 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 2,810 | $124,820 | $147,400 | $169,630 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 2,670 | $137,780 | $169,340 | $202,830 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 2,350 | $127,350 | $145,770 | $171,520 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 2,180 | $138,760 | $166,850 | $196,740 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,870 | $127,920 | $147,700 | $173,290 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,790 | $137,730 | $165,520 | $210,850 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,760 | $130,100 | $157,280 | $180,560 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,690 | $159,680 | $178,010 | $219,080 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 1,470 | $142,060 | $170,820 | $209,450 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 1,430 | $117,930 | $136,900 | $167,490 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,290 | $128,190 | $145,920 | $177,000 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,200 | $164,040 | $179,100 | $215,860 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,190 | $131,880 | $168,240 | $203,010 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,140 | $137,090 | $179,270 | $224,400 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 970 | $124,270 | $134,350 | $165,050 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 940 | $126,670 | $153,170 | $186,260 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 910 | $116,610 | $137,490 | $165,720 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 900 | $140,840 | $162,240 | $195,440 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 750 | $161,880 | $178,170 | $222,270 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 750 | $161,880 | $178,170 | $222,270 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 660 | $137,450 | $167,160 | $188,490 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 610 | $133,420 | $168,410 | $208,000 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 570 | $112,120 | $135,840 | $165,410 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 550 | $107,720 | $133,440 | $160,790 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 540 | $129,060 | $154,710 | $184,360 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 510 | $106,410 | $131,150 | $158,650 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 480 | $126,070 | $141,240 | $168,240 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 460 | $133,900 | $155,390 | $176,300 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 460 | $118,280 | $137,580 | $166,450 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 360 | $135,630 | $163,540 | $186,960 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 360 | $125,410 | $134,640 | $161,410 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 340 | $123,470 | $139,830 | $166,660 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 310 | $129,920 | $155,070 | $197,180 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 310 | $128,100 | $151,980 | $184,410 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 300 | $141,720 | $169,750 | $193,370 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 290 | $130,900 | $160,810 | $167,440 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 270 | $139,150 | $162,560 | $183,950 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 260 | $154,180 | $167,850 | $199,610 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 260 | $124,460 | $143,830 | $170,290 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 200 | $147,420 | $166,120 | $193,680 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 190 | $120,290 | $140,260 | $168,600 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 180 | $152,310 | $172,680 | $210,320 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 170 | $139,100 | $156,650 | $187,200 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 170 | $108,760 | $135,450 | $160,810 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 160 | $147,830 | $163,680 | $179,880 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 150 | $128,080 | $144,020 | $195,010 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 140 | $145,610 | $163,250 | $176,890 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 130 | $139,700 | $165,720 | $177,000 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 130 | $111,790 | $137,330 | $160,440 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 130 | $123,280 | $133,960 | $169,990 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 110 | $132,620 | $156,340 | $202,510 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 100 | $121,700 | $140,590 | $165,250 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 90 | $149,330 | $167,020 | $208,470 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 90 | $155,460 | $178,790 | $211,910 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $131,110 | $143,560 | $165,320 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $131,110 | $143,560 | $165,320 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 80 | $132,120 | $160,800 | $209,530 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 80 | $108,130 | $125,000 | $161,220 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 60 | $124,350 | $142,990 | $168,260 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 60 | $104,010 | $119,660 | $162,260 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 50 | $143,870 | $167,760 | $192,510 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 40 | $122,640 | $149,750 | $169,220 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 40 | $137,270 | $165,820 | $178,300 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Automation Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $134,930 | $167,740 | $207,210 |
| May 2025 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around automation engineers and installation priorities at an assigned operation. A practical discussion of a commissioning decision linking controls changes to operator readiness can test judgment without using confidential drawings or customer information. Those limits help establish team delivery rather than the director's network-wide investment authority; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Automation Manager?
The median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in the United States was $171,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $139,360 and $212,500. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $120,810. 90% earned less than $262,760.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Automation Manager at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 220,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters offers this salary insight for the Automation Manager role, mapped to the SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers category. For Automation Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $171,270; the May 2024 median is $167,740. Their arithmetic difference is $3,530.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width is $73,140, spanning the P25 at $139,360 and the P75 at $212,500. This variance demonstrates the high degree of pay flexibility based on technical management responsibility. Given the breadth of the underlying SOC, these figures do not exclusively capture plant-level automation managers but rather the aggregate population of engineering and architectural managers.
Sector-specific national medians underscore the compensation variations across industries. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reports a median of $192,800. Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing holds a median of $183,950, and Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing follows with $179,720. These are national industry figures and do not translate to regional or site-specific data. The BLS excludes non-cash benefits and performance-related pay from these medians, which are common for managerial roles, so these values represent base-pay benchmarks only.
Metropolitan area benchmarks provide context within high-employment hubs. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim shows a median of $190,900 with a $65,730 middle-band width, while Detroit-Warren-Dearborn indicates a median of $168,550 with a $65,280 middle-band width. These metros are selected based on the density of the occupational category. A location quotient indicates the concentration of the workforce, not local market pay levels or the presence of a specific candidate supply. These medians represent the broader local engineering management market rather than the niche automation management segment.
For Automation Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Because the mapping is to the broader SOC 11-9041 category, the dataset is generalized across various management levels and sectors. These figures are exact as provided. They do not estimate, round, or adjust for the specific technical nuances of automation management. Always evaluate the role against the broad SOC definitions to ensure the compensation range is applicable to the specific responsibilities of the automation manager role being evaluated.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What is the primary constraint of using SOC 11-9041 for an Automation Manager role?
The main limitation is that the category is too broad, capturing many diverse engineering and architectural management titles. It does not isolate the specific compensation for managers focused on factory automation.
How does the national industry data for Aerospace compare to the general management median?
The Aerospace industry median of $192,800 is higher than the general national management median of $171,270. This suggests that specialized, high-tech manufacturing sectors tend to lead in compensation for engineering managers.
Does a high location quotient mean local salaries for automation managers are higher?
No, a high location quotient simply indicates a higher density of the occupation in the region. It does not dictate local pay levels or indicate that companies pay more because of the concentration.
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