Side-by-side distribution
Controls Engineer
$130,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43%
- Live roles
- 1,296
Robotics
$170,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.8%
- Live roles
- 575
Highest-paying jobs
Manufacturing Engineer III (Controls Technician)
Control Systems Software Engineer, Robotics
Software Engineer, API Enterprise Controls
Data Center Controls Engineer
Software Engineer, Enterprise Controls
Senior/Staff Controls Engineer, Core Development
Software Engineer: Robotics Controls
Staff Software Engineer - Humanoid Controls
Senior Mechanical Controls Engineer
Data Center Controls Network Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Software Engineer, Robotics
Compute Electrical Engineer, Robotics
Electrical Engineer, PCBA Test Infrastructure, Robotics
PCB Layout Engineer, Robotics
Control Systems Software Engineer, Robotics
Lead Safety Engineer, Robotics
Mechanical Engineer, PCBA Test Infrastructure, Robotics
Electrical Engineer, Robotics
Staff Robotics Engineer / Tech Lead – Whole-Body Control & Robot Learning
Senior Engineer (AI / Robotics / R&D), In-Home Care AI
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$168,000 | 29 |
| JC Johnson Controls | $85,280 | 23 |
| GV GE Vernova | $131,200 | 18 |
Blue Origin
|
$177,066 | 16 |
Northrop Grumman
|
$136,000 | 14 |
Carrier
|
$118,500 | 14 |
Barry-Wehmiller
|
$127,500 | 13 |
Oshkosh Corporation
|
$119,800 | 13 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,500 | 47 |
Formic
|
$75,920 | 10 |
Neuralink
|
$153,500 | 9 |
|
OpenAI
|
$401,500 | 8 |
Dexmate
|
$200,000 | 6 |
| LS Lila Sciences | $170,525 | 6 |
Intrinsic
|
$177,725 | 5 |
Caterpillar
|
$147,925 | 5 |
Controls Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $222,386 | 22 |
| Seattle | $185,000 | 19 |
| Austin | $162,500 | 23 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 24 |
| Denver | $143,776 | 15 |
| Boston | $127,500 | 3 |
| Chicago | $123,500 | 10 |
| Atlanta | $118,388 | 12 |
| New York | $114,500 | 15 |
Robotics salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $200,000 | 37 |
| Boston | $193,500 | 12 |
| Seattle | $177,300 | 8 |
| Austin | $158,000 | 15 |
| Denver | $155,000 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 9 |
| Atlanta | $138,075 | 5 |
| Chicago | $131,375 | 4 |
| New York | $130,250 | 3 |
Controls Engineer vs Robotics: which pays more?
The median for Controls Engineer is $130,000 per year (typically $108,000–$160,381), versus $170,000 for Robotics ($137,381–$210,000). That puts Robotics about 31% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Controls Engineer and Robotics 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.