Talent Maps / Charlotte / Controls Engineers

Charlotte Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What controls and automation engineers earn in Charlotte, the automation, pharma, truck and utility employers that hire them, real posted pay ranges and where new automation talent is trained.

Hiring controls engineers in Charlotte?

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 instrumentation engineers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area. Charlotte’s controls market is built around automation companies, pharma and truck plants and utilities, so PLC, SCADA and robot skills matter most. BLS has no single code for controls engineers, so we show the occupations they are counted in, using May 2025 wage data, alongside real pay ranges from Charlotte-area employer postings in 2025 and 2026. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Charlotte electrical, industrial and manufacturing and mechanical talent maps.

$103,360Median electrical engineer pay in Charlotte, the code many controls engineers fall underBLS, May 2025

$118,230Median pay for other engineers in Charlotte, the group that includes mechatronics and robotics engineersBLS, May 2025

$167,200Top of the posted range for an automation engineer at Lilly’s Concord siteLilly posting, 2025

$2BLilly’s investment in its highly automated Concord plantCharlotte Observer

50,000+Employees at Charlotte-based Honeywell Technologies, now a pure-play automation companyHoneywell, June 2026

$94,994Top of the posted range for a Gastonia utility electrician working on PLC I/O and SCADACity of Gastonia posting, 2026

Controls engineer salaries in Charlotte

Occupation (Charlotte metro)	10th percentile	Median	90th percentile
Electrical engineers	$65,140	$103,360	$213,210
Engineers, all other (includes mechatronics and robotics)	$72,140	$118,230	$167,750
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technicians	$52,320	$63,330	$82,080
Industrial machinery mechanics	$46,290	$65,530	$85,690
Control and valve installers and repairers	$48,890	$65,170	$93,760

Annual pay. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.

What Charlotte controls jobs are posting

Role	Employer and status	Posted pay
Energy Services Substation Engineer (protection and SCADA controls)	City of Monroe, posted June 1, 2026, closed September 7, 2026	$74,834 to $99,921
Facilities Maintenance Electrician (PLC I/O, SCADA, VFDs)	City of Gastonia, open until October 31, 2026	$59,384 to $94,994 ($28.55 to $45.67 an hour)
Process Automation Engineer (Rockwell, FANUC and Staubli robots)	Eli Lilly, Concord, removed June 23, 2025	$64,500 to $167,200

Pay as stated by the employers in their postings.

What the numbers show: public employers give the clearest view of Charlotte-area controls pay. Monroe pays up to $99,921 for a substation engineer who oversees SCADA controls, and Gastonia pays up to $94,994 for an electrician who works on PLC I/O and SCADA. Lilly’s posted range for an automation engineer at its Concord site ran from $64,500 to $167,200.

Where Charlotte’s controls engineers work

Automation companies

Charlotte-based Honeywell Technologies became a pure-play automation company on June 29, 2026, after spinning off Honeywell Aerospace. It serves the building, industrial and process sectors and has more than 50,000 employees.

Before the spin-offs, about 1,150 Honeywell employees were based in Charlotte.

Pharma

Eli Lilly’s $2 billion Concord plant makes injectable medicines on high-speed, automated lines, with automated vehicles moving materials and robotic arms storing them. Lilly planned 600 jobs.

Its 2025 automation engineer posting asked for Rockwell Automation and FANUC or Staubli robot experience.

Trucks, bearings and energy equipment

Daimler Truck North America’s Cleveland plant is its largest US manufacturing site, and Mount Holly is adding a second shift. Schaeffler runs two plants and a Technology Center in Fort Mill, SC.

Siemens Energy’s Charlotte transformer factory is set to open in June 2027.

Utilities and water

Duke Energy’s $103 billion five-year plan funds new generation, storage and grid work. Monroe’s Energy Services department runs its own substations and SCADA controls.

Gastonia’s water and wastewater plants hire electricians for motor controls, VFDs, PLC I/O and SCADA on systems up to 4,160 volts.

Where the talent sits: Charlotte submarkets

Concord and Cabarrus County

PharmaAutomation

Lilly’s Concord plant and Concord Electric Systems.

Gaston and Rowan counties

TrucksWater

Daimler Truck’s Mount Holly, Gastonia and Cleveland plants and Gastonia’s utility plants.

Steele Creek and Westinghouse Boulevard

Energy equipment

Siemens Energy’s transformer, generator and gas turbine operations.

Fort Mill

Manufacturing

Schaeffler’s two plants and Technology Center.

Union County

Public powerSCADA

Monroe Energy Services’ substations and controls.

Central Charlotte

Headquarters

Honeywell Technologies and Duke Energy headquarters.

What’s driving demand for controls engineers in Charlotte

Truck output. Daimler Truck is adding a second shift at Mount Holly and plans its largest US assembly plant, with construction starting by the end of 2026.
New energy equipment lines. Siemens Energy’s transformer factory opens in 2027 and its Charlotte gas turbine line is restarting.
Grid spending. Duke plans 14 GW of new generation and 4.5 GW of battery storage over five years.
Data centers paused in the city. Charlotte’s 150-day data center moratorium, approved June 8, 2026, is up for an extension hearing on October 12.

The talent pipeline

Central Piedmont Community College. Its two-year mechatronics engineering technology degree covers mechanical components, electronics, motors and controllers, with coursework aligned to industry certifications.
UNC Charlotte School of Energy. Its BS in electromechanical engineering technology is ABET accredited, and its research covers automation and robotics.
UNC Charlotte. Its ABET-accredited BS in electrical engineering includes robotics and smart energy study areas.
Licensing. PE licenses are issued by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

What this means if you’re hiring

Name the platform. Charlotte postings ask for Rockwell, FANUC and Staubli robots, PLC I/O, SCADA and VFDs. Say which systems you run.
Use public pay as a benchmark. Gastonia pays its PLC and SCADA electricians up to $94,994, and Monroe its substation engineers up to $99,921.
Plan for new-plant competition. Lilly, Siemens Energy and Daimler Truck will all draw on the same automation talent pool.
Hire technicians into engineering roles. Mechatronics technicians earn a median of $63,330 in Charlotte, and Central Piedmont trains them locally.

Need controls engineers in Charlotte?

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

Call 919.710.8098 or see our Charlotte engineering recruiters page.

Hire controls engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do controls engineers make in Charlotte?

Controls engineers are counted in several BLS codes. In Charlotte, electrical engineers earn a median of $103,360 and other engineers, including mechatronics engineers, $118,230. Lilly posted an automation engineer role at its Concord site at up to $167,200.

Who hires controls engineers in Charlotte?

Honeywell Technologies, Eli Lilly, Siemens Energy, Daimler Truck North America, Schaeffler, Duke Energy and city utilities in Monroe and Gastonia all hire controls, automation or SCADA staff in the metro.

How does Charlotte controls pay compare with Raleigh?

It depends on the code. Raleigh pays more for electrical engineers, a median of $130,240 against $103,360, while Charlotte pays more for other engineers, $118,230 against $104,910. See our Raleigh controls engineer talent map.

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