Talent Maps / Atlanta / Controls Engineers

Atlanta Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What controls and automation engineers earn in metro Atlanta, which integrators, manufacturers and building automation companies employ them, where they work and the plants competing for them.

Hiring controls engineers in Atlanta?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers controls, automation and mechatronics engineers in metro Atlanta: the people who program PLCs, design control panels, integrate robots and run building automation systems. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no single category for controls engineers, so pay figures use the closest occupations from the May 2025 survey. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Atlanta manufacturing, electrical and mechanical engineer talent maps.

$122,570Atlanta median for the BLS category that covers mechatronics and robotics engineersBLS, May 2025

$102,300Median industrial engineer pay in metro AtlantaBLS, May 2025

15%Projected growth in Georgia industrial engineering jobs, 2024 to 2034Projections Central

1,400Jobs planned at Siemens’ new electrical components plant in Jackson CountyAJC, Aug 2026

300,000Vehicles a year planned at Rivian’s Georgia plant, production late 2028Rivian, Apr 2026

$73,550Median pay for mechatronics and electro-mechanical technicians in metro AtlantaBLS, May 2025

Controls engineer salaries in Atlanta

Controls engineers are counted in several federal categories depending on their degree and employer. The table shows the Atlanta median, what the top 10% earn and the national median for the closest ones. Atlanta pays at or near national rates across all of them.

Occupation (closest BLS category)	Atlanta median	Atlanta top 10%	US median
Electronics engineers (electrical controls proxy)	$135,350	$209,170+	$130,220
Engineers, all other (includes mechatronics and robotics engineers)	$122,570	$166,420+	$122,930
Industrial engineers	$102,300	$156,750+	$102,440
Electrical engineering technicians	$78,610	$110,060+	$78,190
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technicians	$73,550	$126,280+	$73,900
Industrial machinery mechanics	$62,000	$88,910+	$64,520

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. BLS publishes no Atlanta estimate for electrical engineers (SOC 17-2071). Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

What the numbers mean in practice: Atlanta controls pay tracks the national market, so local employers compete with plants and integrators across the Southeast.

Who employs controls engineers in Atlanta

System integrators

Integrators design and program control systems for manufacturers and process plants. Hargrove Engineers + Constructors has a controls and automation office in Johns Creek, and Factory Automation Systems in southwest Atlanta works with PLCs, motion control and robotics.

Building automation

Siemens runs the North American headquarters of its Smart Infrastructure business in Peachtree Corners and hires building automation engineers in Norcross. Johnson Controls posts HVAC building controls roles in Roswell.

Data centers add demand for building management (BMS) and power monitoring (EPMS) controls. See our data center engineer talent map.

Manufacturers

Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Rivian’s Georgia plant, Novelis (headquartered in Atlanta with a research center in Kennesaw), Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC in Suwanee and UCB’s new biologics plant in Gwinnett County all need controls and automation engineers.

Logistics and warehouse automation

FORTNA, a warehouse automation company, is headquartered in Atlanta. UPS’s SMART hub in southwest Atlanta is a 1.2 million square foot automated sorting facility that handles about 100,000 parcels an hour.

Where the talent sits: Atlanta submarkets

Gwinnett and the I-85 corridor

Building automationManufacturing

Siemens in Peachtree Corners and Norcross, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC in Suwanee and UCB’s plant at Rowen. Siemens’ new Pendergrass plant in Jackson County extends the corridor northeast.

North Fulton

IntegratorsHVAC controls

Hargrove in Johns Creek and Johnson Controls roles in Roswell.

Cobb

AerospaceMechatronics

Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Novelis’s research center in Kennesaw and Kennesaw State’s mechatronics engineering program.

Southwest Atlanta and the airport

LogisticsData centers

The UPS SMART hub, Factory Automation Systems and the south metro data center corridor.

East of Atlanta

EV manufacturing

Rivian’s plant at Stanton Springs North near Social Circle, about an hour east of downtown, which will need large teams of automation and controls engineers as production nears.

What’s driving demand for controls engineers in Atlanta

Siemens in Jackson County. Siemens announced a $185 million electrical components plant near Pendergrass in August 2026, with 1,400 jobs and construction expected to start in November.
UCB in Gwinnett. UCB is building a $2 billion biologics plant at Rowen with 330 jobs, described as using AI, robotics and automation.
Rivian. Rivian raised the first-phase capacity of its Georgia plant to 300,000 vehicles a year, with production on track for late 2028.
Aerospace. The state announced 1,200 new Lockheed Martin jobs in Marietta in June 2026.
Data centers and logistics. Atlanta’s record data center pipeline and its role as a logistics hub keep building automation and warehouse controls work steady.
A counter-signal. SK Battery America cut 958 jobs at its Commerce plant in March 2026 as it shifted toward energy storage. Not every manufacturing project grows on schedule.

Controls specialties in demand

PLC and HMI programmers for manufacturing lines and process plants.
Robotics and motion control engineers for automotive, aerospace and warehouse automation.
Building automation (BAS/BMS) engineers for commercial buildings, hospitals and data centers.
Power monitoring (EPMS) and SCADA engineers for data centers and utilities.
Controls commissioning engineers who start up new lines and buildings.
Panel and electrical controls designers. See what a controls engineer does.

The talent pipeline

Kennesaw State University. Offers an ABET-accredited BS in mechatronics engineering.
Georgia Tech. Runs interdisciplinary master’s and PhD programs in robotics through its Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, plus top-ranked electrical and mechanical engineering schools.
Technical colleges. Gwinnett Tech and Georgia Piedmont Tech offer mechatronics technology degrees, a source of controls technicians.
Georgia Quick Start. The state’s free, customized workforce training program for qualifying new and expanding companies, and a partner on UCB’s Gwinnett plant.
Growth. Georgia is projected to grow from 7,120 industrial engineers in 2024 to 8,220 in 2034, with about 550 openings a year.

What this means if you’re hiring

Be specific about the platform. Allen-Bradley, Siemens, building automation and robotics skills don’t transfer one-for-one, so name the systems in the job post.
Expect competition from new plants. Siemens, UCB and Rivian will all be staffing controls teams over the next few years.
Plan for travel. Integrator and commissioning roles often involve travel, so say how much up front.
Grow your own. Kennesaw State mechatronics graduates and technical college technicians can grow into controls engineers with the right mentor. Our guide on how to hire a controls engineer covers the rest.

Need controls engineers in Atlanta?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place controls, automation, robotics and building automation engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 404.474.4571 or see our Atlanta engineering recruiters page.

Hire controls engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do controls engineers make in Atlanta?

BLS has no single controls engineer category. In metro Atlanta, the category that includes mechatronics and robotics engineers has a median of $122,570, industrial engineers $102,300 and electronics engineers $135,350, according to May 2025 BLS data.

Who hires controls engineers in Atlanta?

System integrators such as Hargrove and Factory Automation Systems, building automation companies such as Siemens and Johnson Controls, manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, Rivian and Novelis, and logistics automation companies such as FORTNA.

Where can I study controls or mechatronics engineering in Atlanta?

Kennesaw State offers an ABET-accredited BS in mechatronics engineering, Georgia Tech offers robotics graduate programs, and Gwinnett Tech and Georgia Piedmont Tech offer mechatronics technology degrees.

Is controls engineering a good career in Atlanta?

Yes. New plants from Siemens, UCB and Rivian, aerospace growth and the data center boom all need controls engineers. Read more on whether controls engineering is a good career.

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