Talent Maps / San Antonio / Controls Engineers

San Antonio Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What controls and automation engineers earn in San Antonio, the vehicle plants, utilities and manufacturers that employ them, real posted pay ranges and where new automation talent is trained.

Hiring controls engineers in San Antonio?

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 San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area. San Antonio’s controls market is built around vehicle and engine plants, utilities and water systems, so PLC and SCADA 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 San Antonio public employer postings in 2026. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our San Antonio electrical, industrial and manufacturing and mechanical talent maps.

$103,520Median electrical engineer pay in San Antonio, the code many controls engineers fall underBLS, May 2025

$117,620Median pay for other engineers in San Antonio, the group that includes mechatronics and robotics engineersBLS, May 2025

$142,085Top of the posted range for SAWS’s electrical maintenance superintendentSAWS posting, September 2026

$3.6BToyota Texas expansion announced in July 2026Toyota

2,000New jobs planned with the Toyota Texas expansionToyota

17Companies sponsoring St. Philip’s College’s advanced manufacturing programAlamo Colleges

Controls engineer salaries in San Antonio

Occupation (San Antonio metro)	10th percentile	Median	90th percentile
Electrical engineers	$68,420	$103,520	$193,190
Engineers, all other (includes mechatronics and robotics)	$79,240	$117,620	$160,020
Industrial machinery mechanics	$43,830	$60,760	$95,770
Control and valve installers and repairers	$37,810	$52,280	$85,770

Annual pay. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. BLS publishes no San Antonio estimate for electro-mechanical and mechatronics technicians.

What San Antonio controls jobs are posting in 2026

Role	Employer and status	Posted pay
Superintendent, Electrical Maintenance	SAWS, open until October 11, 2026	$79,373 to $142,085 ($38.16 to $68.31 an hour)
Control Systems Technician (PLC, SCADA, RF)	SAWS, open until October 4, 2026	$55,037 to $94,411 ($26.46 to $45.39 an hour)
Journey Level Electrician (PLCs and building control system)	SAWS, open until October 4, 2026	$26.46 to $45.39 an hour, starting at $32.00
Electronic Industrial Controls Mechanic (WG-11)	Audie L. Murphy VA hospital, recently posted, closed August 26, 2026	$32.68 to $38.12 an hour

Pay as stated by public employers. The private employers we found hiring controls engineers in San Antonio did not state pay in their postings.

What the numbers show: public employers give the clearest view of San Antonio controls pay. SAWS pays up to $142,085 for a senior electrical, instrumentation and control role, and its PLC and SCADA technicians earn up to $94,411.

Where San Antonio’s controls engineers work

Vehicle and engine plants

Toyota Texas has about 6,000 team members and 23 on-site suppliers, and built more than 197,000 Tundra and Sequoia vehicles last year. Its $3.6 billion expansion adds 2.5 million square feet and moves Tacoma production to San Antonio over about four years.

International (formerly Navistar) builds Class 6 to 8 diesel and electric trucks in a 900,000-square-foot San Antonio plant. Caterpillar is investing $90 million to build its C13D engine in Schertz and Seguin, with production from 2026.

Utilities and water

SAWS hires control systems technicians and electricians who work on PLCs, SCADA and radio systems. CPS Energy’s SCADA engineering group covers transmission, distribution, distributed energy and gas operational systems.

Food and batteries

H-E-B hires electrical controls engineers in San Antonio for PLC, SCADA and MES work. Clarios hires manufacturing and controls engineers with PLC, HMI, SCADA and robot experience.

Research and building automation

Southwest Research Institute, with 3,200 employees, does automation work among its research programs.

Hospitals and campuses hire building automation staff. A 2026 UTSA posting asked for Metasys and Desigo experience.

Where the talent sits: San Antonio submarkets

South San Antonio

VehiclesAutomation

Toyota Texas, its 23 on-site suppliers and the plant expansion.

Schertz and Seguin

EnginesManufacturing

Caterpillar’s C13D engine production.

Northwest San Antonio and the Medical Center

ResearchBuilding automation

Southwest Research Institute, UTSA and the Audie L. Murphy VA hospital.

Utility sites across Bexar County

SCADAWater

SAWS and CPS Energy plants, substations and control centers.

Far west Bexar and Castroville

Data centers

Microsoft’s Castroville data center project, set to start construction in 2026.

What’s driving demand for controls engineers in San Antonio

Toyota expansion. Toyota’s $3.6 billion expansion doubles its San Antonio plant by 2030 and adds 2,000 jobs.
New engine production. Caterpillar’s C13D engine line in Schertz and Seguin starts production from 2026.
Utility automation. SAWS and CPS Energy are hiring for SCADA, PLC and instrumentation and control roles.
Data centers. Microsoft’s $400 million Castroville project adds demand for building and power automation skills.

The talent pipeline

St. Philip’s College. Its five-semester advanced manufacturing technology degree, part of TX FAME, is sponsored by 17 companies including Toyota, H-E-B and Caterpillar, and covers PLCs, robotics and process control. The college also offers a 60-credit manufacturing equipment instrumentation technician degree.
UT San Antonio (UTSA). Its ABET-accredited electrical engineering degree offers a systems and control concentration.
St. Mary’s University. Its BS in electrical engineering is ABET accredited.
Texas A&M-San Antonio. It offers a BS in electronic systems engineering technology and has proposed a BS in electrical engineering for 2027, pending approval.

What this means if you’re hiring

Name the platform. San Antonio postings ask for PLC, SCADA, MES and robot experience. Say which systems you run.
Use public pay as a benchmark. SAWS pays its PLC and SCADA technicians up to $94,411, a useful reference point for technician offers.
Plan for Toyota competition. Toyota’s expansion will draw on the same automation talent pool.
Hire technicians into engineering roles. St. Philip’s College trains automation and instrumentation technicians who grow into controls engineers.

Need controls engineers in San Antonio?

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 512.686.1181 or see our San Antonio engineering recruiters page.

Hire controls engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do controls engineers make in San Antonio?

Controls engineers are counted in several BLS codes. In San Antonio, electrical engineers earn a median of $103,520 and other engineers, including mechatronics engineers, $117,620. SAWS posted an electrical maintenance superintendent role in 2026 at up to $142,085.

Who hires controls engineers in San Antonio?

Toyota Texas, International, Caterpillar, H-E-B, Clarios, SAWS, CPS Energy and Southwest Research Institute all hire controls, automation or SCADA staff in the metro.

How does San Antonio controls pay compare with Houston?

Houston pays more. Electrical engineers earn a median of $131,070 in Houston against $103,520 in San Antonio, and other engineers $130,270 against $117,620. See our Houston controls engineer talent map.

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