Salary guide, May 2025
Controls Engineer pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $102,110 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $79,580 and $129,990.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median is $18,520 below the national median of $120,630, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
What should you know about tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $64,370 | $79,580 | $102,110 | $129,990 | $162,490 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30.95 | $38.26 | $49.09 | $62.50 | $78.12 |
BLS estimated 1,500 workers employed in this occupation in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Location quotient: 0.81.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $76,550 | $92,830 | $120,630 | $152,950 | $184,300 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36.80 | $44.63 | $58.00 | $73.53 | $88.61 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Controls Engineer median is $102,110. The all-occupations median in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is $48,940. Ratio: 2.09 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.81 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $83,730 | $104,440 | $134,560 |
| May 2025 | $79,580 | $102,110 | $129,990 |
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.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $111,200 | $76,230 to $134,090 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $98,900 | $78,980 to $126,050 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters assesses the Electrical Engineers SOC classification for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, to inform Controls Engineer hiring requirements. The metro median is $102,110, which is lower than the national median of $120,630. The middle band width is $50,410, with a P25 of $79,580 and a P75 of $129,990.
This middle band width is narrower than the national middle band width of $60,120, suggesting that regional pay distribution for this broader category is more clustered than the national total.
From May 2024 to May 2025, the Tampa median fell by $2,330, while the national median for this occupation climbed by $8,720. With a location quotient of 0.81, the region shows a lower density of this engineering talent than the national average. The BLS data covers all sectors using this broad electrical engineering code; therefore, it does not distinguish between plant automation controls work, such as safety PLC design or HMI development, and other electrical engineering functions. Compensation figures are base-only and ignore variable performance pay.
National manufacturing benchmarks show higher medians, with Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing at $141,160 and Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing at $137,540. These industry figures show the earnings premium associated with specialized manufacturing. We screen candidates for specific platform expertise in Studio 5000, SCADA integration software, and SCADA systems, which are key drivers of individual value but remain unmeasured by the aggregate labor statistics provided by the bureau.
Comparison areas include Wildwood-The Villages, FL, with a median of $111,200 and a middle band width of $57,860, and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL, with a median of $98,900 and a middle band width of $47,070. The Tampa median is between these comparison metros. Mapping is conducted via Census 2025 internal points. These aggregate figures serve as an occupational baseline and do not reflect the unique travel tolerance or technical complexity required for success in high-level controls systems integration.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Controls Engineer in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,110; the May 2024 median is $104,440. Their arithmetic difference is -$2,330. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
How does the Tampa median for Electrical Engineers compare to the national level?
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater median of $102,110 is lower than the national median of $120,630. This highlights a significant regional wage gap for this broader occupation.
What can I conclude from the two release estimates?
For Controls Engineer in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,110; the May 2024 median is $104,440. Their arithmetic difference is -$2,330. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
What specific controls engineering tasks does your screening process focus on?
Our screening focuses on platform-specific expertise in PLC (modular PLCs, integrated automation), HMI/SCADA (industrial HMI tools, SCADA integration software), and safety logic integration, which are beyond the granularity of BLS occupational data.
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