Talent Maps / Houston / Controls Engineers
Houston Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)
What controls, DCS and automation engineers earn in Houston, the process automation companies and plants that employ them, real posted pay ranges and where new instrumentation talent is trained.
Hiring controls engineers in Houston?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, DCS and instrumentation engineers in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area. Houston’s controls market is built around process plants, so distributed control systems (DCS) and safety instrumented systems (SIS) matter more here than in most cities. 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 Houston postings in 2026. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Houston electrical and industrial and manufacturing talent maps.
Controls engineer salaries in Houston
| Occupation (Houston metro) | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical engineers | $77,170 | $131,070 | $207,990 |
| Engineers, all other (includes mechatronics and robotics) | $63,700 | $130,270 | $195,190 |
| Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technicians | $44,520 | $66,330 | $116,240 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | $43,920 | $63,180 | $101,140 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers | $42,610 | $61,680 | $97,870 |
Annual pay. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.
What Houston controls jobs are posting in 2026
| Role | Location and type | Posted pay |
|---|---|---|
| Senior DCS automation engineer (Honeywell platforms) | Houston, full time | $140,000 to $190,000 |
| Process control engineer | Pasadena, full time | $125,000 to $165,000 |
| Senior electrical control systems engineer (PE) | Houston, full time | $120,000 to $160,000 |
| Instrumentation and electrical engineer (DCS, Yokogawa preferred) | Pasadena, full time | $120,000 to $145,000 |
| Automation specialist (pipeline PLCs, heavy travel) | Houston, contract-to-hire | $50 to $65 an hour |
| Turner Industries, Instrument Technician | Pasadena, full time | $45 an hour |
Postings live in September 2026. Most were posted by staffing firms on behalf of unnamed employers.
What the numbers show: Houston’s DCS and process control engineers are some of the best-paid controls engineers in the country. Experience with Honeywell, Emerson DeltaV or Yokogawa systems and with SIS design pushes offers to the top of these ranges.
Where Houston’s controls engineers work
Process automation companies
Honeywell’s Process Automation business is headquartered at CityWest Boulevard in west Houston. Yokogawa Corporation of America has had its North American headquarters in Sugar Land since 2009.
Mangan’s Texas engineering office and its SIS software business are also in Sugar Land.
Integrators and EPC firms
Burrow Global runs its automation, digital and data center groups from Post Oak in Houston. Worley has a Houston office and a modular fabrication hub in the metro. Gulf Island Fabrication, based in The Woodlands, bought ENGlobal’s automation business in 2025.
Refineries and chemical plants
The plants along the Ship Channel employ in-house control systems engineers and contractors. A 2026 LyondellBasell Channelview posting, for example, asked for DeltaV, Honeywell Experion and Triconex SIS experience.
See our Houston refineries map.
Pipelines, LNG and utilities
Midstream companies need automation specialists for pipeline PLCs and SCADA, and LNG plants along the Gulf Coast need DCS and SIS engineers. CenterPoint’s grid build-out adds demand for protection and controls engineers.
Where the talent sits: Houston submarkets
West Houston and the Energy Corridor
Process automationEPC
Honeywell’s Process Automation headquarters, Worley and the EPC firms along I-10 west.
Sugar Land
DCS vendorsSIS
Yokogawa’s North American headquarters and Mangan’s engineering and software offices.
Pasadena, Deer Park and Baytown
PlantsInstrumentation
The Ship Channel refineries and chemical plants, and the contractors that maintain their control systems.
Galleria and Uptown
Integrators
Burrow Global’s automation group and the offices of pipeline and midstream companies.
The Woodlands
ChemicalsFabrication
Chevron Phillips Chemical and Gulf Island Fabrication.
The talent pipeline
- San Jacinto College. Its instrumentation technology associate degree is taught in a 10-station Emerson DeltaV lab and a 10-station Allen-Bradley PLC lab, and in February 2026 it became one of only two Texas programs recognized by the Texas Skills Standards Board.
- Lee College. The Baytown college offers an instrumentation technology associate degree and certificates covering PLCs and DCS.
- Houston City College. Formerly Houston Community College, it offers an instrumentation and controls engineering technology associate degree at its Northeast campus.
- ISA Houston Section. The local chapter of the International Society of Automation runs SIS and other training, plus an annual expo.
- Universities. UH, Rice, Prairie View A&M and Texas A&M supply the electrical and chemical engineers who move into controls. See our Houston electrical engineer talent map.
What this means if you’re hiring
- Name the platform. Honeywell, DeltaV, Yokogawa and Triconex experience is not interchangeable. Say which systems you run.
- Budget for DCS and SIS skills. Senior DCS engineers are being offered up to $190,000.
- Hire technicians into engineering roles. San Jacinto, Lee College and Houston City College produce instrumentation technicians who grow into controls engineers.
- Be clear about travel and turnarounds. Field and pipeline roles often travel heavily, and plant turnarounds mean long shifts.
Need controls engineers in Houston?
Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place controls, DCS, instrumentation and automation engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.
Call 832.519.1704 or see our Houston engineering recruiters page.
Hire controls engineersFrequently asked questions
How much do controls engineers make in Houston?
Controls engineers are counted in several BLS codes. In Houston, electrical engineers earn a median of $131,070 and other engineers, including mechatronics engineers, $130,270. Posted Houston DCS and process control roles in 2026 ranged from $120,000 to $190,000.
What DCS systems do Houston employers use?
Houston job postings most often ask for Honeywell Experion, Emerson DeltaV, Yokogawa and Triconex safety systems, along with Allen-Bradley PLCs.
Where can I train as an instrumentation technician in Houston?
San Jacinto College, Lee College in Baytown and Houston City College all offer instrumentation associate degrees and certificates.
Sources (12)
- O*NET OnLine: Local wages for electrical engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- O*NET OnLine: Local wages for engineers, all other
- O*NET OnLine: Local wages for electro-mechanical and mechatronics technicians
- Turner Industries: Instrument Technician posting
- Honeywell: US locations
- Yokogawa Corporation of America: About
- Burrow Global: Contact
- Mangan: Contact
- Worley: United States
- San Jacinto College: Instrumentation technology
- Lee College: Instrumentation technology
- Houston City College: Instrumentation and controls engineering technology