Talent Maps / Orlando / Controls Engineers

Orlando Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What controls engineers earn in metro Orlando, which defense, power, utility and theme park employers hire them, where in the metro they work, and the projects competing for them.

Hiring controls engineers in Orlando?

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 engineers in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area (Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties). BLS has no controls engineer code, so pay is shown for electrical engineers, the closest main occupation, with electronics and industrial engineers for context. Figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses employer and project data published from 2022 to 2026. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Orlando electrical, data center and civil engineer talent maps.

$119,080Median electrical engineer pay in metro Orlando, the main code for controlsBLS, May 2025

$133,390Median electronics engineer pay in metro OrlandoBLS, May 2025

Nearly 10,000Lockheed Martin employees in the Orlando areaOrlando Economic Partnership, 2024

300+Suppliers Lockheed Martin works with across the Orlando regionOrlando Economic Partnership, 2024

3,000Employees in Siemens Energy’s new Lake Nona headquarters, due by 2027Spectrum News 13, 2025

$17BDisney’s development agreement for Walt Disney World over 15 yearsConstruction Dive

Controls engineer salaries in Orlando

BLS does not publish a controls engineer category. The closest main code is electrical engineers (SOC 17-2071), and many controls engineers are classified there. The median electrical engineer in metro Orlando earns $119,080 a year, $14,300 above the Florida median of $104,780 and $1,550 below the national median of $120,630. The hourly median is $57.25.

Annual pay percentile	Orlando metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$75,810	$65,090	$76,550
25th percentile	$80,730	$80,860	$92,830
Median	$119,080	$104,780	$120,630
75th percentile	$128,490	$131,550	$152,950
90th percentile	$159,060	$164,210	$184,300

Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071), the main BLS code for controls engineers. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Two other codes cover controls work. Electronics engineers (SOC 17-2072) earn a median of $133,390 in Orlando, against $116,860 in Florida and $130,220 nationally, and their 90th percentile is $179,490. Industrial engineers (SOC 17-2112), who often run plant automation, earn a median of $104,920 in Orlando, against $101,610 in Florida and $102,440 nationally.

What the spread means in practice: Orlando electrical engineers earn $16,970 more at the median than Tampa’s $102,110, which makes Orlando the stronger market for controls hires who can work from the electrical code. Tampa’s 90th percentile of $162,490 is slightly above Orlando’s $159,060.

Where Orlando’s controls engineers work

Defense and aerospace

Lockheed Martin has had a presence in Orlando since 1957 and has nearly 10,000 employees in the area. Its Missiles and Fire Control site works on electro-optics, millimeter wave radar, signal processing and large-system integration, and its Rotary and Mission Systems site builds training and simulation systems.

Power equipment and research

Siemens Energy is moving its regional headquarters to Lake Nona by 2027. Its Innovation Center in Orlando added space and $5 million of equipment in 2022, including additive manufacturing and robotics used to inspect and repair turbines that can run on hydrogen.

Utilities

Orange County Utilities runs a centralized SCADA system with 8 I/O servers, and each plant also has its own local SCADA. It serves over 500,000 residents across more than 450 square miles. The Orlando Utilities Commission runs generation and substations in Orlando and St. Cloud.

Theme parks and attractions

Disney’s agreement allows about $17 billion of work over 15 years. Universal has filed plans for a $20.6 million event building at Epic Universe. New attractions need ride and show control systems.

Where the talent sits: Orlando submarkets

East Orlando and UCF

Power equipmentResearch

Siemens Energy’s current campus is in East Orlando, and the University of Central Florida is nearby.

Central Florida Research Park

PhotonicsDefense

Ocean Insight has its headquarters and manufacturing here. L3Harris, Northrop Grumman and Luminar also operate in the region.

Lake Nona

Corporate campus

Siemens Energy’s new 242,000-square-foot building at Lake Nona Town Center is planned for about 3,000 employees by 2027.

Walt Disney World and Lake Buena Vista

Ride controlShow control

Tropical Americas opens at Animal Kingdom in 2027, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was being rethemed for summer 2026.

Water and power plants

SCADAPLC

Orange County is expanding its Eastern, Hamlin and South water reclamation facilities, and OUC plans to run Stanton Unit 2 on natural gas only by the end of 2027.

What’s driving demand for controls engineers in Orlando

Defense production. Lockheed Martin received a $4.7 billion contract action in April 2026 to speed PAC-3 MSE production and aims to triple capacity. The release does not name the plants, so the Orlando share is not stated.
Siemens Energy. The regional headquarters move to Lake Nona, due by 2027, keeps about 3,000 employees in the metro. The company says its Orlando Innovation Center cut the time to test new concepts from six months to six weeks.
Theme park construction. Tropical Americas opens in 2027, and Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios is predicted for 2028. New rides typically need ride control, show control and safety systems.
Water infrastructure. Orange County Utilities budgeted just under $298 million for infrastructure in the next fiscal year, including three water reclamation plant projects.
Grid change. OUC’s 2026 plan adds solar and battery storage, with 341.5 MWac of solar contracts and a 4 MW, 8 MWh battery at St. Cloud.
Data centers. HostDime’s Eatonville facility and CoreSite’s campus need building automation and power monitoring. See our US data center map.

Controls specialties tied to these projects

PLC and SCADA engineers for water reclamation plants and utility operations.
Ride and show control engineers for attractions at Walt Disney World and Universal.
Defense systems and embedded controls engineers for guidance, sensors and fire control hardware.
Robotics and automation engineers for inspection, repair and additive manufacturing work.
Power plant and substation controls engineers for turbines, batteries and solar sites.

The talent pipeline

University of Central Florida. UCF’s electrical engineering graduate program ranked No. 57, computer engineering No. 54 and mechanical engineering No. 70 in U.S. News’ 2026 listing. UCF’s CREOL ranks among the top three public universities for optics.
Valencia College. Lockheed Martin has supported an advanced manufacturing training program at Valencia, and the Orlando Economic Partnership said in 2018 that Lockheed hired more graduates from UCF than from any other university.
Role guides. See our controls engineer role guide and hiring guide.
Licensing. Most controls roles do not require a PE license, but utility and building roles that sign drawings usually do. Those come from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, which does not offer reciprocity.

What this means if you’re hiring

Compete with Lockheed Martin. With nearly 10,000 employees and 300 suppliers in the region, it sets expectations for defense and embedded controls pay.
Price against the electronics code. Electronics engineers earn $133,390 at the median, $14,310 above electrical engineers.
Use the Tampa gap. Tampa’s electrical median is $16,970 lower, so Orlando offers need to be at or above $119,080 to attract Tampa-based candidates.
Recruit PLC and SCADA talent for utilities. Water and power employers hire steadily, and their projects run on multi-year capital plans.

Need controls engineers in Orlando?

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

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Orlando engineering recruiters page.

Hire controls engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do controls engineers make in Orlando?

BLS has no controls engineer category. The median electrical engineer salary in metro Orlando, the main code for controls roles, is $119,080 a year, according to May 2025 data. Electronics engineers earn a median of $133,390. The middle half of electrical engineers earn between $80,730 and $128,490.

Do controls engineers earn more in Orlando or Tampa?

Orlando, going by the electrical engineer code. Its median is $119,080, against $102,110 in Tampa. See our Tampa controls engineer talent map.

Who hires controls engineers in Orlando?

Defense and simulation employers such as Lockheed Martin, power equipment makers such as Siemens Energy, utilities such as Orange County Utilities and the Orlando Utilities Commission, and theme park operators such as Walt Disney World and Universal.

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