Talent Maps / Jacksonville / Controls Engineers

Jacksonville Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What controls engineers earn in metro Jacksonville, which manufacturers, defense and port employers hire them, where in the metro they work, and the plant and port automation projects competing for them.

Hiring controls engineers in Jacksonville?

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 Jacksonville metro area (Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Baker counties). BLS has no controls engineer code, so the main benchmark is electrical engineers (SOC 17-2071), with electronics engineers for context. Pay figures come from the latest wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project data published from 2025 to 2026. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Jacksonville electrical, mechanical and industrial engineer talent maps.

$116,480Median electrical engineer pay in metro Jacksonville, the main code for controls engineersBLS, May 2025

$113,620Median electronics engineer pay in metro JacksonvilleBLS, May 2025

$1B+Johnson & Johnson Vision investment in Jacksonville, with full operation expected in 2028Johnson & Johnson, 2026

$30MAnheuser-Busch upgrade of brewing and packaging equipment, announced January 2026Jacksonville Daily Record

$93MJAXPORT crane modernization at Blount Island and TalleyrandJacksonville Daily Record, 2026

5,000Workers at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, which overhauls Navy aircraft and enginesFRCSE

Controls engineer salaries in Jacksonville

BLS does not publish a controls engineer wage. The closest code is electrical engineers, who earn a median of $116,480 a year in metro Jacksonville. That is $11,700 above the Florida median of $104,780 and $4,150 below the national median of $120,630. The hourly median is $56.00.

Annual pay percentile	Jacksonville metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$74,530	$65,090	$76,550
25th percentile	$93,980	$80,860	$92,830
Median	$116,480	$104,780	$120,630
75th percentile	$136,260	$131,550	$152,950
90th percentile	$165,610	$164,210	$184,300

Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071), the main 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.

Electronics engineers, which covers embedded and instrumentation work, earn a median of $113,620 in Jacksonville, below the Florida median of $116,860 and the national median of $130,220. Pay ranges from $78,850 at the 10th percentile to $144,620 at the 90th. Controls titles vary widely, so job postings may price above or below these medians.

What the spread means in practice: Orlando’s electrical median is $119,080, which is $2,600 above Jacksonville. Orlando’s electronics median is $133,390, which is $19,770 higher. Jacksonville’s 25th percentile of $93,980 for electrical engineers is above Orlando’s $80,730.

Where Jacksonville’s controls engineers work

Medical and consumer manufacturing

Johnson & Johnson Vision makes more than 1.7 billion ACUVUE lenses a year in a Jacksonville complex of more than 1.5 million square feet, and supports 3,500 employees. Anheuser-Busch’s brewery opened in 1969. JAXUSA also lists Medtronic, Zimmer Biomet, Baker Hughes and KLS Martin.

Aerospace and defense

Boeing’s Cecil Airport campus includes a $39 million avionics production facility expected to turn out about 175 pieces of equipment a year. BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman also operate in Jacksonville, and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast has about 5,000 workers.

Port and logistics

JAXPORT’s $93 million crane program added two 50 gauge cranes at Blount Island in January 2026 and one at Talleyrand. SSA’s container terminal had a $72 million modernization, and Southeast Toyota Distributors planned a $120 million, 340,000 square foot facility.

Batteries, cans and distribution

SAFT America makes lithium batteries at Cecil Commerce Center. Metal Container Corp. makes cans for Anheuser-Busch on Ellis Road. Hillwood tracks prospects of 1 million to 1.5 million square feet for automated distribution.

Where the talent sits: Jacksonville submarkets

Northside

BrewingPackaging

Anheuser-Busch’s brewery is at 111 Busch Drive. It has invested more than $100 million in Jacksonville since 2021, including bottling lines and brewing tanks.

Blount Island and Talleyrand

PortCranes

The Blount Island cranes lift 115 feet, reach 19 containers across the deck and move 33 containers an hour, with regenerative power systems.

Westside and Cecil Commerce Center

AerospaceBatteriesDistribution

The center spans 17,000 acres and has more than 4,500 jobs across tenants including Boeing, Amazon, SAFT America, Bridgestone and Northrop Grumman.

Across the metro

Medical devicesManufacturing

J&J Vision, Medtronic, Zimmer Biomet and KLS Martin make surgical and vision products in Jacksonville, according to JAXUSA.

What’s driving demand for controls engineers in Jacksonville

J&J Vision. The more than $1 billion expansion adds a distribution facility and advanced manufacturing and packaging technology. Construction was under way in June 2026 and full operation is expected in 2028.
Anheuser-Busch. The $30 million announced in January 2026 upgrades brewing and packaging equipment to raise Michelob Ultra output. A $10 million investment in December 2024 targeted quality and efficiency.
Port equipment. Crane modernization, an SSA terminal upgrade and a $54 million auto Berth 20 due in 2027 all add equipment to commission and maintain.
Avionics and overhaul work. Boeing’s Cecil avionics facility and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, which has annual revenue above $1 billion, both need test and automation skills.
Automated distribution. Hillwood has proposed a 1,006,880 square foot building at Cecil and is tracking prospects interested in automated distribution.

Controls specialties tied to these projects

PLC and SCADA engineers for brewing, packaging and bottling lines.
Packaging and high speed line controls engineers for contact lens production.
Crane and motion control engineers for container terminal equipment.
Avionics test and automation engineers for Boeing and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast.
Warehouse automation engineers for large distribution buildings. See our controls engineer guide.

The talent pipeline

University of North Florida. UNF offers ABET accredited BS degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and advanced manufacturing engineering.
Training programs. Florida State College at Jacksonville received a $7 million state grant in September 2026 for a Cecil Training Institute.
Licensing. Most controls roles do not require a PE license, but the Florida Board of Professional Engineers licenses engineers who stamp electrical designs. See our guide to hiring a controls engineer.

What this means if you’re hiring

Price against electrical pay. The median is $116,480 and the 75th percentile is $136,260, so a senior controls offer under $116,000 may stall.
Expect competition from Orlando on electronics. Its electronics median is $19,770 above Jacksonville’s.
Know the large employers. J&J Vision, Anheuser-Busch, Boeing and JAXPORT all have projects running into 2027 or 2028.
Draw on UNF. It is the local source of electrical, mechanical and advanced manufacturing graduates.

Need controls engineers in Jacksonville?

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

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Jacksonville engineering recruiters page.

Hire controls engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do controls engineers make in Jacksonville?

BLS has no controls engineer code. The median electrical engineer salary in metro Jacksonville, the closest benchmark, is $116,480 a year (May 2025). The middle half earn between $93,980 and $136,260, and the top 10% earn $165,610 or more. Electronics engineers earn a median of $113,620.

Do controls engineers earn more in Jacksonville or Orlando?

Orlando, by a small margin on the electrical code. Its median is $119,080, against $116,480 in Jacksonville, and its electronics median of $133,390 is well above Jacksonville’s $113,620. See our Orlando controls engineer talent map.

Who hires controls engineers in Jacksonville?

Manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson Vision, Anheuser-Busch, Medtronic and Zimmer Biomet, aerospace and defense employers such as Boeing, BAE Systems and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, and port and logistics operators such as JAXPORT and Southeast Toyota Distributors.

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