Salary guide, May 2025
Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer pay, United States
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 the United States was $120,630 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,830 and $152,950.
Also searched as: I&E Engineer, Instrument Engineer. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
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.
| 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 |
BLS estimated 198,750 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
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.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $102,800 | $82,570 to $133,070 | 2,050 | 0.57 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $102,110 | $79,580 to $129,990 | 1,500 | 0.81 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $119,080 | $80,730 to $128,490 | 2,010 | 1.11 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $130,240 | $82,280 to $169,310 | 1,500 | 1.58 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $128,340 | $100,600 to $158,880 | 6,290 | 0.52 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $128,340 | $100,600 to $158,880 | 6,290 | 0.52 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $124,390 | $89,410 to $161,080 | 5,720 | 1.11 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $113,520 | $92,320 to $134,330 | 4,290 | 0.74 |
Rank every metro for Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer
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.
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$141,160
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$137,540
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$137,540
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$133,080
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$133,020
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$131,920
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$129,990
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$129,370
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$129,210
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$128,580
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing$128,460
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$128,320
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$127,620
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing$127,050
- Chemical Manufacturing$126,460
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 57,140 | $93,240 | $117,360 | $152,640 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 20,460 | $97,690 | $128,320 | $166,710 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 12,980 | $101,660 | $129,210 | $166,510 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 9,380 | $96,930 | $121,610 | $162,200 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 9,360 | $79,350 | $98,790 | $124,950 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 8,950 | $110,900 | $141,160 | $171,950 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 8,030 | $83,490 | $101,840 | $127,270 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 7,650 | $99,960 | $131,920 | $173,450 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 6,050 | $83,140 | $100,820 | $126,980 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,450 | $77,150 | $96,410 | $123,860 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 2,860 | $82,640 | $102,550 | $129,630 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,720 | $99,150 | $128,580 | $163,650 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 1,640 | $90,010 | $105,390 | $127,270 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 1,290 | $84,850 | $101,730 | $125,040 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,230 | $78,360 | $133,080 | $177,610 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 1,090 | $98,960 | $126,460 | $150,400 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 910 | $98,790 | $125,250 | $140,960 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 860 | $81,690 | $101,230 | $125,170 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 840 | $85,020 | $102,160 | $127,180 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 830 | $102,850 | $129,990 | $154,320 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 800 | $88,390 | $111,580 | $128,340 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 690 | $90,800 | $105,350 | $128,890 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 690 | $80,250 | $99,540 | $124,850 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 620 | $103,600 | $128,460 | $156,370 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 500 | $90,850 | $103,660 | $128,230 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 450 | $100,630 | $126,050 | $133,820 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 440 | $106,130 | $129,370 | $139,020 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 440 | $102,170 | $133,020 | $173,730 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 430 | $95,740 | $127,050 | $163,320 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 410 | $117,140 | $137,540 | $165,390 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 410 | $117,140 | $137,540 | $165,390 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 330 | $87,980 | $106,380 | $126,240 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 300 | $88,120 | $109,520 | $128,700 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 300 | $90,330 | $113,140 | $126,540 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 300 | $90,330 | $113,140 | $126,540 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 290 | $104,190 | $127,620 | $137,760 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 280 | $87,430 | $101,880 | $129,590 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 270 | $79,150 | $96,930 | $109,750 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 240 | $106,670 | $120,840 | $134,500 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 240 | $80,590 | $98,070 | $122,800 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 230 | $43,440 | $84,540 | $107,620 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 210 | $84,950 | $104,310 | $124,620 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 200 | $95,920 | $111,480 | $143,660 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 200 | $95,050 | $100,120 | $122,060 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 200 | $82,390 | $99,070 | $122,800 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 190 | $91,210 | $108,760 | $124,950 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 180 | $78,930 | $104,370 | $135,820 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 180 | $92,980 | $109,260 | $140,930 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 160 | $100,000 | $114,830 | $129,520 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 100 | $78,320 | $103,310 | $125,640 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 90 | $83,730 | $95,180 | $120,430 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 90 | $98,700 | $116,530 | $129,710 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 70 | $28,940 | $108,610 | $125,120 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 70 | $99,920 | $111,140 | $128,470 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 60 | $83,610 | $103,600 | $118,940 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 60 | $78,320 | $87,440 | $103,090 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 60 | $75,750 | $85,890 | $100,340 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 50 | $99,090 | $113,410 | $125,670 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 50 | $101,030 | $108,730 | $123,830 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 40 | $87,980 | $101,380 | $115,300 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 40 | $79,130 | $102,960 | $131,000 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 40 | $82,100 | $96,210 | $122,020 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 40 | $87,830 | $102,140 | $122,310 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 40 | $62,650 | $83,030 | $98,070 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 30 | $87,830 | $104,860 | $122,670 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $98,780 | $117,020 | $158,960 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. 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 | $87,590 | $111,910 | $141,630 |
| May 2025 | $92,830 | $120,630 | $152,950 |
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 certification and standards fluency?
Credentials such as ISA CCST or CAP are useful signals, though experience matters more. We ask how they applied ISA standards for documentation, loop diagrams and instrument indexes, and how they kept drawings current after field changes.
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 Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer?
The median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in the United States was $120,630 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,830 and $152,950. 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 $76,550. 90% earned less than $184,300.
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 Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer 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 198,750 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
Controls Engineer pay Automation Engineer pay PLC Programmer pay Robotics Engineer pay Machine Vision Engineer pay Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer pay ranked across all metros Open jobs Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
The middle-band width for this occupation is $60,120, measured from the P25 of $92,830 to the P75 of $152,950. This spread indicates the variation in compensation driven by experience levels and expertise in specific controls technology. The P10 of $76,550 and P90 of $184,300 define the lower and upper limits of the broad market.
Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineers are mapped to the broader BLS classification of Electrical Engineers, SOC 17-2071. Because the BLS provides aggregated data for all electrical engineers, it does not distinguish the specific niche of I&C engineering. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that typical plant tasks, such as DCS system management, instrument specification, and CCST certification, are inherently included in this broad group. The national median for this occupation is $120,630, a $8,720 increase from the May 2024 median of $111,910. Note that BLS figures represent base salary and exclude performance-based bonuses, which are standard in many continuous-process environments.
The middle-band width for this occupation is $60,120, measured from the P25 of $92,830 to the P75 of $152,950. This spread indicates the variation in compensation driven by experience levels and expertise in specific controls technology. The P10 of $76,550 and P90 of $184,300 define the lower and upper limits of the broad market. Manufacturers must recognize that hiring for complex I&C roles requires an understanding of these band limits to compete for experienced professionals. It is vital to frame offers within these statistical ranges while accounting for individual technical proficiencies.
Salary variance is observed across significant metropolitan hubs. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area reports a median of $139,780, a change of $4,880 from the prior median. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports a median of $128,340, a change of $1,180. The location quotient for Los Angeles is 1.12, whereas New York is 0.52. These quotients reflect the employment concentration of the occupation rather than candidate availability or pay levels. These statistics show that while regional markets differ, they both tend to exceed the national median of $120,630, reflecting the intense competition for technical engineering talent.
Sectoral national data provides context, although these reflect industry-wide averages rather than specific job roles. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reports a median of $141,160, while Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing stands at $137,540. These industry figures underscore the high value placed on controls engineering in high-stakes environments. Because these figures are topcoded at the sector level, they serve as industry guideposts rather than absolute salary measures. Companies should blend these broader sectoral benchmarks with internal salary policies to maintain competitive and equitable pay structures for their I&C engineering staff.
Both the $120,630 median and the $125,100 mean fall inside this occupation’s reported middle band. For an instrumentation search, decide who must own loop checks, control-valve specification and changes to the plant DCS. Someone who maintains a proven instrument loop may need a different remit from the engineer responsible for commissioning a new process unit.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What is the middle-band width and how does it assist recruitment?
The middle-band width is $60,120, covering the gap between the P25 and P75 percentiles. It provides a realistic range for hiring managers to structure salary offers based on professional experience.
Why is the Los Angeles median higher than the national median?
The Los Angeles median of $139,780 reflects higher regional market competition and demand for skilled electrical engineers. This demonstrates how localized metro data can deviate from the national median of $120,630.
Does the BLS provide separate wage data for I&C Engineers?
No, the BLS classifies I&C engineering under the broader Electrical Engineers occupation. Consequently, specific salary data for I&C tasks is aggregated within the larger occupational group.
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