Results are in: Control Engineering Career and Salary Survey, 2024

Control Engineering salary and career research insights

• 2024 Control Engineering Career and Salary Report lists automation technologies identified to resolve key manufacturing challenges.
• Automation experts get higher salary and benefits in 2024 than 2023; see also shifting criteria for bonuses.
• Insights are provided on job satisfaction, hours for those working with automation, controls along with survey methods and demographics, including slightly younger respondees.

Salaries and benefits increased for Control Engineering subscribers responding to the 2024 Control Engineering Career and Salary Survey and Report, while supply chain concerns for manufacturing continued to fall. Salaries increased to an average $114,771 (Figure 1), up from $111,345 among those taking the survey in 2023, about a 3% increase, compared to 7% increase in the 2023 survey. The average of those receiving bonuses increased to $16,125 in 2024 (Figures 2, 3) from $15,929 in 2023. The economy (41%) moved ahead of lack of available skilled workers (33%) as the leading threat to manufacturing business in 2024.

Figure 1: 66% of respondents expect a salary increase in 2024. Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

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Last year, they were tied, given the margin of error. Lack of necessary materials/parts fell significantly to 11% in 2024, down from 30% in 2023. Lack of investments for equipment, software upgrades or replacements was at 10% among concerns, twice the 5% in 2023. Financial compensation has the most impact on job satisfaction at 33% followed by the next six criteria in a statistical tie for second (Figure 6).

Figure 2: 31% of respondents expect an increase in 2024 bonuses. Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

Automation technologies to resolve key manufacturing challenges

What technologies can help in the coming year? (Figure 5) Remote controls and monitoring moved to first from seventh while artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) moved from to third from eighth. Six automation-related offerings, including those two, were statistically tied for first. Power quality and reliability increased to fifth from 17^th. Significant shifts in ranking relative to other technologies likely indicate increased interest. Like last year, no technology listed was separated from its neighbor by a percentage greater than the margin of error for the research, at +/-6.7% at 95% confidence in 2024. These were among other key findings in the research.

Figure 3: In 2024, the average salary of respondents is $114,771, up from $111,345 in 2023, up from $104,071 in 2022. Bonuses increased also. Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

Anticipated increases for automation experts

Automation, controls and instrumentation help manufacturers operate more efficiently and fill the skills gap, and often those with automation expertise mirror demands for technologies. About two-thirds of respondents (66%) expect a base annual salary increase in 2024, comparable to the last two years.

Personal performance increased to tie company profits at 51% as the dominant criteria for bonus compensation (Figure 4). In 2023, leading criteria for bonuses were 55% company profitability and 43% personal performance.

Figure 4: In 2024, company profits and personal performance were tied as the leading criteria for non-salary compensation; profits lead among 2023 criteria. Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

Job satisfaction, hours for those working with automation, controls

While financial compensation is the highest impact for job satisfaction in 2024, the next six criteria were tied for second: Ability to work from home, flexible work hours, technical challenge, feeling of accomplishment, relationship with colleagues and workload. In 2023, three factors with greatest impact on job satisfaction were technical challenge and financial compensation tied at 30% and feeling of accomplishment was at 25%.

Hours worked trended lower among respondents in this year’s research.

• 11% worked fewer than 40 (9% in 2023, 11% in 2022)

• 48% worked 40 to 44 hours (42% in 2023, 43% in 2022)

• 18% worked 45 to 49 hours (24% in 2023, 29% in 2022)

• 13% worked 50 to 54 hours (14% in 2023, 9% in 2022)

• 3% worked 55 to 59 hours (same in 2023, 2022)

• 6% worked 60 or more (8% in 2023, 5% in 2022).

Help from a stunning diversity of automation-related technologies

Control Engineering subscribers develop, integrate and use a wide diversity of controls, automation and instrumentation to create solutions; subscribers selected from among 23 technologies in the question: “What technologies are most likely to help you in the coming year? Check all that apply.” Seven replies were in a statistical dead heat for the top spot (Figure 5). Compared to last year, the following three made the largest increases:

• Power quality and reliability increased to 25% in 2024 from 15% in 2023.

• Remote controls and monitoring increased to 29% from 25% in 2023.

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) increased to 28% from 24% in 2023.

Figure 5: While seven technologies likely to help most tied for first in 2024, power quality and reliability made the largest gain since 2023 (10 percentage points), followed by remote controls and monitoring and artificial intelligence and machine learning (four percentage points each). Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

Twenty-three percentage points separate the top from the bottom technology in 2024, while 13 percentage points separated top from bottom last year, possibly suggesting more focus on particular technologies in the coming year.

Survey methods for 2024 career and salary report

Research for the 2024 Control Engineering Career and Salary Report resulted from an emailed survey to subscribers, producing 211 qualified responses from April 17 to May 6, 2024, for a margin of error of +/-6.7% at a 95% confidence level. Survey respondents were invited to anonymously provide their annual compensation information and opinions on the current state of their facilities and industries along with advice for peers.

Engineering salary, bonus details

In Figure 1, 42% expect a salary increase of up to 3% in 2024 (45% in 2023 and 2022; 51% in 2021; 52% in 2020; 63% in 2019; 56% in 2018); 18% expect an increase of 4% to 6% or more (19% in 2023; 12% in 2022; 14% in 2021; 18% in 2020; 11% in 2019; 19% in 2018); 6% expect more than 6% increase (7% in 2023; 10% in 2022); 31% expect the same (28% in 2023; 32% in 2022 and 2021; 30% in 2020; 25% in 2019; 23% in 2018); and 3% expect a salary decrease (1% in 2023 and 2022; 3% in 2021; 1% in 2020 and 2019; 2% in 2018).

For base salary compensation, the minimum was $20,000 ($22,000 in 2023; $20,000 in 2022; $28,000 in 2021), and the maximum was $360,000, ($300,000 in 2023; $266,700 in 2022 and $250,000 in 2021).

For bonus compensation (Figure 2), 18% expect an 1% to 3% increase (15% in 2023); 6% expect an increase of 4% to 6% (same as 2023); 7% expect an increase greater than 6% (8% in 2023); 59% expect about the same (57% in 2023); and 10% expect less (14% in 2023).

For those receiving bonus compensation (Figure 3), the 2024 average received was $16,125 ($15,929 in 2023, $19,162 in 2022). The 2024 average across all respondents is $11,840, ($11,518 in 2023). In 2024, 25% received no bonus, (27% in 2023).

Figure 6: Top factor for job satisfaction is financial compensation in 2024, followed by six criteria in a statistical dead heat for second. Ability to work from home and flexible hours among the six made the largest increases from 2023. Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

Engineering bonus criteria

Two leading criteria for non-salary compensation were tied: company profitability at 51% (55% in 2023), and personal performance at 51% (43% in 2023), the largest increase in percentage points from last year); see Figure 4. New business/sales at 17% (23% in 2023); customer feedback at 15% (10% in 2023); quality metrics at 14% (17% in 2023); company stock performance at 10% (13% in 2023) and product profits at 9% (19% in 2023), among other responses.

Engineering job satisfaction, manufacturing threats shift

Leading factors influencing job satisfaction for engineers often are technical challenge and feeling of accomplishment, except when financial concerns push compensation to the lead. While deaths and disruptions from COVID-19 created many workplace challenges, it showed many organizations that working from home and flexible hours were possible for some positions, and highly valued, say some respondents.

When asked which three factors had greatest impact on workplace satisfaction, financial compensation at 33% (30% in 2023) was the clear lead. Second place, given the margin of error, was a six-way tie among ability to work from home at 25% (up from 15% in 2023), flexible work hours at 25% (19% in 2023), technical challenge at 23% (30% in 2023), feeling of accomplishment at 20% (25% in 2023), relationship with colleagues at 20% (19% in 2023) and workload 20% (16% in 2023). See Figure 6 for 13 other criteria.

Post-pandemic concerns about available material and parts available continued to decrease as a manufacturing threat: 11% in 2024 (30% in 2023 and 42% in 2022). In addition, lack of available skilled workers, while a solid second among perceived threats, became less of a concern in 2024 at 33% (48% in 2023 and 57% in 2022). See additional threats in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Leading perceived threats to manufacturing is the economy, moving up from second in 2023 and third in 2022. Lack of available skilled workers was a solid second, down from the top spot in 2023. Courtesy: Control Engineering research, WTWH Media

Slightly younger engineers, years at work, education

Control Engineering research provides demographics as context, and extra figures online provide more information and benchmarking.

Younger subscribers increased and older subscribers decreased in several age groups, a trend that’s reflected in recent www.controleng.com online analytics, as well, as older, more experienced workers retire.

Among those surveyed, 5% are under 30 years of age (2% in 2023; 1% in 2022); 15% at 30 to 39 years of age (9% in 2023; 7% in 2022), 18% at 40 to 49 years of age (15% in 2023; 16% in 2022); 22% at 50 to 59 years of age (29% in 2023; 32% in 2022); and 40% at 60 and older (45% in 2023; 42% in 2022).

Years working for current employer trended downward with 50% at 9 years or less (36% in 2023; 43% in 2022), 23% at 10 to 19 years (29% in 2023; 26% in 2022), 17% at 20 to 29 years (20% in 2023; 18% in 2022) and 10% at 30 or more years (15% in 2023; 13% in 2022).

Years in current industry trended downward slightly: 14% at 9 or fewer years (9% in 2023); 19% 10 to 19 years (14% in 2023); 20% at 20 to 29 years (24% in 2023); 27% 30 to 39 years (30% in 2023) and 20% 40 years or more (23% in 2023).

Highest level of education completed were: <1% high school diploma (3% in 2023), 2% trade/technical school diploma (4% in 2023), 6% associate degree (8% in 2023), 5% college attendance (10%), 56% had a bachelor’s degree (39% in 2023; 48% in 2022), 24% had a master’s degree (30% in 2023; 23% in 2022), 5% dual bachelor’s degrees (2% in 2023) and 1% a doctoral degree (4% in 2023).

Mark T. Hoske is editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com. Amanda Pelliccione, marketing research manager, WTWH Media, conducted the research and assembled the related report available online.

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For more information, see this article online and download the Control Engineering 2024 Career and Salary Report.

KEYWORDS: 2024 salary survey, career advice

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