Side-by-side distribution
Controls Engineer
$165,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 45.6%
- Live roles
- 421
Electrical Engineer
$153,946
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 49.5%
- Live roles
- 1,376
Highest-paying jobs
Staff+ Software Engineer, Identity & Access Controls
Software Engineer, API Enterprise Controls
Software Engineer, Codex -Enterprise Controls
Senior/Staff Controls Engineer
Software Engineer: Robotics Controls
Staff Software Engineer - Humanoid Controls
Data Center Controls Network Engineer
IT Controls Data Engineer
Principal Operations Engineer, Controls
Controls Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Electrical Engineer, Robotics
Data Center Electrical Engineer
Principal Electrical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Data Center Design Engineer, Electrical - Industrial Compute
Data Center Infrastructure Electrical Engineer
Electrical Engineer, Actuator Test Infrastructure
Principal Electrical Engineer, Integration & Test
Senior Electrical Engineer II
Senior Registered Engineer / Project Manager, Electrical
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 20 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$197,000 | 11 |
Zone 5 Technologies
|
$192,500 | 8 |
SpaceX
|
$122,500 | 7 |
Vast
|
$150,960 | 6 |
Kodiak
|
$225,000 | 5 |
Crusoe
|
$159,000 | 5 |
|
OpenAI
|
$308,250 | 4 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 103 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$128,692 | 37 |
|
SpaceX
|
$123,750 | 28 |
ALTEN Technology USA
|
$127,500 | 15 |
Helion
|
$220,000 | 14 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$175,225 | 11 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$217,500 | 10 |
Atwell, LLC
|
$135,000 | 9 |
Controls Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $203,175 | 28 |
| Seattle | $192,750 | 14 |
| New York | $186,750 | 14 |
| Austin | $185,000 | 14 |
| Denver | $159,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $157,500 | 12 |
| Chicago | $125,908 | 4 |
Electrical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $208,500 | 21 |
| San Francisco | $185,000 | 55 |
| Austin | $179,475 | 16 |
| Denver | $160,000 | 15 |
| New York | $157,845 | 28 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 47 |
| Boston | $145,775 | 23 |
| Chicago | $144,311 | 13 |
| Toronto | $110,416 | 3 |
| Atlanta | $100,000 | 6 |
Controls Engineer vs Electrical Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Controls Engineer is $165,000 per year (typically $132,500–$197,500), versus $153,946 for Electrical Engineer ($125,000–$184,750). That puts Controls Engineer about 7% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Controls Engineer and Electrical Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.