Salary guide, May 2025
PLC / Controls Technician 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 and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment in the United States was $74,090 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $60,040 and $88,710.
Also searched as: Controls Technician, Automation Technician, PLC Technician. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Closest proxy · SOC 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
The PLC / Controls Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $46,840 | $60,040 | $74,090 | $88,710 | $105,590 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $22.52 | $28.86 | $35.62 | $42.65 | $50.77 |
BLS estimated 65,010 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment, 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 | $61,430 | $45,760 to $76,040 | 960 | 0.82 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $61,530 | $49,220 to $73,010 | 530 | 0.88 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $60,790 | $50,230 to $77,050 | 490 | 0.84 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $71,880 | $65,790 to $81,090 | 230 | 0.74 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $76,190 | $60,470 to $94,770 | 1,300 | 0.33 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $76,190 | $60,470 to $94,770 | 1,300 | 0.33 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $73,530 | $57,990 to $83,820 | 2,910 | 1.72 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,950 | $45,350 to $59,950 | 910 | 0.48 |
Rank every metro for PLC / Controls Technician
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.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$105,590
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$97,340
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$92,890
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$90,930
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$82,290
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$80,860
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$80,440
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$78,940
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$75,000
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (NAICS 337000)$74,490
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$73,940
- Textile Product Mills (NAICS 314000)$68,390
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$66,750
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$65,820
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$65,380
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 | 15,560 | $62,000 | $77,160 | $95,160 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 2,490 | $57,470 | $65,380 | $80,720 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 1,770 | $77,600 | $97,340 | $111,740 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 1,640 | $62,290 | $90,930 | $122,860 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 1,630 | $61,430 | $73,920 | $86,820 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 1,590 | $49,100 | $60,360 | $74,840 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 1,500 | $77,880 | $97,340 | $111,900 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 1,470 | $68,290 | $78,940 | $90,870 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 1,350 | $72,430 | $82,290 | $89,800 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,310 | $69,260 | $92,890 | $118,580 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 1,290 | $69,620 | $104,640 | $128,040 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,020 | $75,240 | $84,670 | $91,850 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 890 | $46,930 | $51,300 | $63,050 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 830 | $100,180 | $109,570 | $122,440 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 660 | $65,990 | $73,940 | $85,040 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 540 | $101,850 | $105,590 | $111,160 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 540 | $101,850 | $105,590 | $111,160 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 490 | $61,150 | $75,000 | $81,900 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 470 | $54,280 | $65,100 | $82,460 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 440 | $53,600 | $62,940 | $63,460 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 430 | $61,730 | $69,980 | $80,810 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 420 | $56,360 | $66,750 | $78,130 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 400 | $68,480 | $80,440 | $90,270 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 330 | $68,210 | $76,380 | $84,980 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 310 | $45,950 | $57,740 | $78,660 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 300 | $74,030 | $85,630 | $98,430 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 290 | $59,960 | $74,870 | $81,270 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 280 | $71,090 | $78,980 | $91,200 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 280 | $47,030 | $47,030 | $59,460 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 270 | $69,960 | $80,860 | $89,870 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 270 | $60,400 | $65,190 | $79,790 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 250 | $66,010 | $67,550 | $77,010 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 230 | $64,010 | $65,820 | $72,870 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 230 | $58,150 | $61,830 | $76,830 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 230 | $58,880 | $67,080 | $76,810 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 210 | $63,020 | $75,920 | $77,770 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 200 | $86,790 | $104,710 | $105,700 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 200 | $47,030 | $47,030 | $57,380 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 190 | $58,500 | $81,510 | $89,870 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 180 | $64,380 | $68,390 | $73,600 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 180 | $64,380 | $68,390 | $73,600 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 170 | $67,780 | $77,210 | $81,130 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 170 | $68,030 | $81,680 | $90,470 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 150 | $64,990 | $78,520 | $84,080 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 150 | $62,770 | $89,570 | $100,010 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 130 | $77,290 | $78,240 | $100,470 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 130 | $66,070 | $71,440 | $74,860 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 120 | $60,350 | $65,020 | $79,020 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 120 | $60,350 | $65,020 | $79,020 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 120 | $72,440 | $79,130 | $97,150 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 110 | $62,780 | $71,430 | $81,950 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 90 | $39,750 | $46,760 | $56,590 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 80 | $86,630 | $93,470 | $97,520 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 80 | $77,900 | $77,900 | $87,880 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 80 | $75,350 | $80,470 | $94,640 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 80 | $37,020 | $56,490 | $61,370 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 70 | $78,820 | $93,510 | $99,560 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 70 | $62,150 | $74,490 | $78,710 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 60 | $62,490 | $65,030 | $66,480 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 60 | $87,470 | $94,630 | $97,060 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 60 | $54,410 | $62,280 | $69,920 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 50 | $71,540 | $79,790 | $79,790 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 50 | $61,760 | $75,900 | $80,510 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 40 | $66,410 | $70,580 | $78,380 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 40 | $73,200 | $75,430 | $75,430 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 30 | $63,460 | $71,750 | $77,080 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $47,160 | $48,630 | $63,170 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | Not published by BLS | $47,160 | $47,930 | $59,030 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $71,180 | $93,700 | $95,010 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $36,380 | $36,690 | $75,270 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For PLC / Controls Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. 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 | $56,750 | $71,300 | $85,160 |
| May 2025 | $60,040 | $74,090 | $88,710 |
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.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Maintenance Manager pay (SOC 49-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about hMI and SCADA?
industrial HMI tools, supervisory control software and SCADA integration software screens guide operators and technicians. We ask what the candidate built or modified. Someone who only used screens differs from someone who designed them.
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 PLC / Controls Technician?
The median annual wage for Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment in the United States was $74,090 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $60,040 and $88,710. This is the closest proxy 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 $46,840. 90% earned less than $105,590.
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 PLC / Controls Technician at a plant?
The PLC / Controls Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 65,010 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The PLC and Controls Technician role, mapped to SOC 49-2094, reflects a national median salary of $74,090 as of May 2025. For PLC / Controls Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $74,090; the May 2024 median is $71,300. Their arithmetic difference is $2,790.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width for this occupation is $28,670, showing the range between the 25th percentile at $60,040 and the 75th percentile at $88,710. Because this role involves specific plant-floor duties like troubleshooting VFDs and industrial networks, Manufacturing Headhunters notes that these BLS numbers aggregate many specialized technical functions that are not separated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For PLC / Controls Technician 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.
When comparing regional data, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, reports a median salary of $77,880 with a substantial middle-band width of $38,900. In contrast, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, shows a median of $73,530 with a tighter middle-band width of $25,830. These figures reflect market-specific concentrations rather than standardized national experience requirements. The national occupation data for Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing indicates a median of $109,570, while the Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing sector reports a median of $105,590. These industry-specific medians are national averages and do not represent localized pay levels for the PLC technician role.
The location quotient in Houston is 3.41, while Dallas shows a 1.72 concentration, highlighting the varied regional demand for technical maintenance personnel. The middle-band width values provided represent simple arithmetic differences from the current dataset. For PLC / Controls Technician 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. Candidates working in highly automated environments often command pay at the higher end of the distribution, though this is not explicitly broken out in the source reporting.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How does the PLC and Controls Technician salary compare between Houston and Dallas?
The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands area reports a median of $77,880 compared to the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington median of $73,530. These variances reflect regional market dynamics rather than standardized national experience levels.
What is the difference between the 25th and 75th percentile for this role?
The middle-band width for the PLC and Controls Technician is $28,670. This range spans from the 25th percentile of $60,040 to the 75th percentile of $88,710.
Does the provided wage data include bonuses or shift premiums?
For PLC / Controls Technician 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.
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