Side-by-side distribution
Controls Engineer
$160,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44.6%
- Live roles
- 383
Hardware Engineer
$175,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 51.5%
- Live roles
- 460
Highest-paying jobs
Staff+ Software Engineer, Identity & Access Controls
IT Controls Data Engineer
Software Engineer, Codex -Enterprise Controls
Backend Software Engineer, API Enterprise Controls
Software Engineer: Robotics Controls
Data Center Controls Network Engineer
Controls Engineer
Robotics Manipulation & Controls Engineer
Software Engineer, Planning & Controls - Autonomy & Robotics
Platform Systems Engineer; Motion Planning and Control
Highest-paying jobs
Hardware / Software CoDesign Engineer - 3P
Hardware Engineer
SOC Emulation Engineer - Hardware Emulation Infrastructure
Software Engineer, Hardware
ML Research Engineer - Hardware Codesign
Software Engineer, Hardware Health
Hardware Tools Engineer
Research Engineer - Robotic Hardware, Simulation and Data
Offensive Hardware Security Engineer, Platform Security
Systems Software Engineer, Security, First Party Hardware
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$160,000 | 16 |
Fluidstack
|
$212,000 | 14 |
Zone 5 Technologies
|
$192,500 | 8 |
Crusoe
|
$159,000 | 8 |
|
OpenAI
|
$323,250 | 4 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$175,000 | 4 |
Kodiak
|
$210,000 | 3 |
Skydio
|
$205,000 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
SpaceX
|
$113,750 | 15 |
Relativity Space
|
$185,000 | 12 |
Freeform
|
$170,000 | 10 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$191,500 | 9 |
|
OpenAI
|
$335,000 | 7 |
|
Applied Intuition
|
$159,500 | 7 |
Nebius
|
$152,500 | 7 |
Everpure
|
$203,000 | 6 |
Controls Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $212,000 | 15 |
| San Francisco | $212,000 | 26 |
| Seattle | $212,000 | 17 |
| Austin | $212,000 | 15 |
| Los Angeles | $157,500 | 14 |
| Denver | $144,500 | 4 |
Hardware Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $242,500 | 3 |
| New York | $240,000 | 9 |
| Seattle | $220,000 | 5 |
| San Francisco | $206,000 | 29 |
| Chicago | $200,000 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $160,000 | 17 |
| Boston | $155,000 | 7 |
Controls Engineer vs Hardware Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Controls Engineer is $160,000 per year (typically $132,000–$200,000), versus $175,000 for Hardware Engineer ($140,000–$207,750). That puts Hardware Engineer about 9% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Controls Engineer and Hardware 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.