Side-by-side distribution
Controls Engineer
$132,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 45%
- Live roles
- 1,212
Robotics
$185,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44.3%
- Live roles
- 560
Highest-paying jobs
Staff+ Software Engineer, Identity & Access Controls
Manufacturing Engineer II (Controls Technician)
Software Engineer, API Enterprise Controls
Software Engineer, Codex -Enterprise Controls
Senior/Staff Controls Engineer
Staff Software Engineer - Humanoid Controls
Software Engineer: Robotics Controls
Staff Robotics Engineer - Planning and Controls
Data Center Controls Network Engineer
IT Controls Data Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Machine Learning Engineer, Distributed Data Systems - Robotics
PCB Layout Engineer, Robotics
Firmware Engineer, Robotics
Electrical Engineer, Robotics
Lead Safety Engineer, Robotics
Software Engineer, Distributed Data Systems - Robotics
Inference Engineer, Robotics
Staff Robotics Engineer / Tech Lead – Whole-Body Control & Robot Learning
Software Engineer: Robotics Controls
Software Engineer: ML Robotics Systems
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| JC Johnson Controls | $87,470 | 32 |
Blue Origin
|
$184,640 | 20 |
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 20 |
| GV GE Vernova | $131,200 | 18 |
Northrop Grumman
|
$142,500 | 17 |
Carrier
|
$118,500 | 17 |
KION Group
|
$105,150 | 14 |
Oshkosh Corporation
|
$103,100 | 14 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 47 |
|
OpenAI
|
$390,750 | 8 |
Field Ai
|
$167,500 | 8 |
Neuralink
|
$146,875 | 8 |
| SA Skild AI | $200,000 | 7 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$160,199 | 7 |
RoboForce
|
$212,500 | 6 |
Caterpillar
|
$147,925 | 6 |
Controls Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $203,175 | 28 |
| Seattle | $188,331 | 30 |
| New York | $185,000 | 19 |
| Austin | $185,000 | 18 |
| Los Angeles | $160,000 | 19 |
| Denver | $143,776 | 17 |
| Berlin | $118,638 | 4 |
| Chicago | $117,750 | 8 |
| Atlanta | $110,713 | 16 |
Robotics salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $224,750 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $207,500 | 37 |
| Boston | $207,500 | 10 |
| Seattle | $205,791 | 8 |
| Austin | $197,350 | 15 |
| Denver | $160,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $157,500 | 11 |
Controls Engineer vs Robotics: which pays more?
The median for Controls Engineer is $132,500 per year (typically $105,813–$168,966), versus $185,000 for Robotics ($142,500–$218,250). That puts Robotics about 40% 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.