Talent Maps / Tampa / Controls Engineers

Tampa Controls Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What controls engineers earn in metro Tampa, who employs them, where in the metro they work, and the water plant, manufacturing, radar and traffic system projects competing for them.

Hiring controls engineers in Tampa?

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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area, which spans Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and company data published from 2024 to 2026. Our controls engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Tampa electrical, mechanical and data center engineer talent maps.

$102,110Median electrical engineer pay in metro Tampa, the main code for controls engineersBLS, May 2025

$162,490+What the top 10% of Tampa electrical engineers earnBLS, May 2025

$21.4MSCADA upgrade at Tampa Bay Water’s surface water plant, running to fall 2028Tampa Bay Water

$31MFive-year FDOT contract to run the Tampa Bay traffic management centerTampa Bay Business & Wealth, 2026

$26.5MCollins Aerospace radar plant expansion in Largo, with 100 jobsRTX, 2026

20 jobsNorwalt automation machinery expansion in Hillsborough County, including engineers and programmersTampa Bay EDC, 2024

Controls engineer salaries in Tampa

BLS has no separate code for controls engineers. Most are counted as electrical engineers (SOC 17-2071), so the table below uses that code as the main benchmark. The median in metro Tampa is $102,110 a year. That is $2,670 below the Florida median of $104,780 and $18,520 below the national median of $120,630. The hourly median is $49.09.

Annual pay percentile	Tampa metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$64,370	$65,090	$76,550
25th percentile	$79,580	$80,860	$92,830
Median	$102,110	$104,780	$120,630
75th percentile	$129,990	$131,550	$152,950
90th percentile	$162,490	$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 nearby codes give context. Electronics engineers (SOC 17-2072) earn a median of $104,690 in Tampa, against $116,860 for Florida and $130,220 nationally. Industrial engineers (SOC 17-2112), common on automation and plant floors, earn a median of $100,670 in Tampa, against $101,610 for Florida and $102,440 nationally, with a 90th percentile of $144,030.

Orlando pays more. Its electrical engineer median is $119,080, which is $16,970 above Tampa’s. Tampa’s 90th percentile of $162,490 is $3,430 above Orlando’s $159,060, so the senior end of the market is closer than the median suggests.

Where Tampa’s controls engineers work

Water and wastewater

Tampa Bay Water is replacing the programmable logic controllers, servers and software at its Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant. Construction starts in mid-2026 and finishes in fall 2028.

The City of Tampa is replacing seven 50-million-gallon-a-day pumps and upgrading nitrogen removal at the Howard F. Curren plant.

Electronics and defense manufacturing

Jabil is headquartered in St. Petersburg and employs more than 140,000 people worldwide. Collins Aerospace, part of RTX, is adding radar production capacity in Largo.

Norwalt builds custom automation machinery for medical device, food and beverage, and household products customers from a 28,000 square foot Hillsborough site.

Power and transport

Tampa Electric runs the Big Bend, Polk and Bayside power stations and a new four-engine plant at MacDill. Duke Energy Florida serves about 2 million customers.

FDOT District 7’s regional traffic management center covers Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties and is operated by Iteris with Lucent Group.

Airports and ports

Tampa International Airport is building the 16-gate Airside D. Port Tampa Bay is extending a berth at Port Redwing, a $40 million project.

Where the talent sits: Tampa submarkets

St. Petersburg

ElectronicsManufacturing

Jabil’s headquarters is at 10800 Roosevelt Boulevard, one of about 100 Jabil locations worldwide.

Largo and Pinellas Park

RadarDefense

Collins Aerospace’s Largo radar production area is due to be fully operational by late 2026, supporting the FAA’s radar replacement program.

Crossroads and east Hillsborough

AutomationLogistics

Norwalt expanded into Crossroads Logistics Park after entering the Tampa market in 2022 and growing its staff 30% in two years.

South Hillsborough

PowerMarine

Big Bend Power Station sits near Apollo Beach, and Port Redwing in Gibsonton is extending Berth 300.

Pasco County

Water

Tampa Bay Water is modernizing control equipment at its Cypress Creek pump station and replacing chemical feed systems at the Cypress Creek plant.

What’s driving demand for controls engineers in Tampa

Water plant controls. The $21.4 million SCADA project at Tampa Bay Water’s surface water plant replaces controllers, servers and instrumentation. A separate $181 million expansion adds 12.5 million gallons a day by 2028.
Pipeline and pump stations. Tampa Bay Water’s $500 million South Hillsborough Pipeline carries 65 million gallons a day, and eight smaller projects worth $28.7 million include drive and control upgrades at the desalination plant and Cypress Creek pump station.
Wastewater. Tampa is spending $280 million on the Howard F. Curren plant, including the main pump station, due to finish in 2026, and new digesters due in 2028.
Traffic systems. FDOT District 7 awarded a five-year, $31 million contract in April 2026 to operate its regional traffic management center.
Electronics manufacturing. Jabil invested $628 million in plants and equipment in fiscal 2026 and says new capacity already has business committed to it.
Radar and automation. Collins Aerospace is adding more than 100 engineering and factory jobs in Largo. Norwalt plans 20 jobs including electrical and mechanical engineers and programmers.
Power plants. Tampa Electric’s plans include about 195 megawatts of new batteries and about 75 megawatts of engines.

Controls specialties tied to these projects

PLC and SCADA engineers for water plants, pump stations and utilities.
Industrial automation engineers for machine builders and electronics lines.
Instrumentation and drive engineers for treatment plants, desalination and pumping.
Intelligent transportation engineers for FDOT traffic systems.
Power plant and battery controls engineers for utility generation and storage.

The talent pipeline

University of South Florida. USF’s College of Engineering has more than 3,500 students, and its electrical, mechanical and industrial engineering bachelor’s degrees are ABET-accredited.
What the role involves. See our controls engineer guide and how to hire a controls engineer.
Licensing. Public water and power work often needs engineers who hold a Florida PE license from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.

What this means if you’re hiring

Benchmark against electrical pay. Controls roles are counted with electrical engineers, so use the $102,110 median and $129,990 at the 75th percentile as your guide.
Expect Orlando to compete. Its electrical median is $16,970 above Tampa’s.
Know the rival buyers. Water utilities, Jabil, defense plants and machine builders all hire the same PLC and SCADA skills.
Offer length. The water plant SCADA work runs to fall 2028 and the plant expansion to 2028.

Need controls engineers in Tampa?

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

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Tampa engineering recruiters page.

Hire controls engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do controls engineers make in Tampa?

BLS has no controls engineer code. The median electrical engineer salary in metro Tampa, the main benchmark, is $102,110 a year, according to May 2025 data. The middle half earn between $79,580 and $129,990, and the top 10% earn $162,490 or more.

Do controls engineers earn more in Tampa or Orlando?

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

Who hires controls engineers in Tampa?

Utilities and water owners such as Tampa Bay Water, the City of Tampa, Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida, manufacturers such as Jabil, Collins Aerospace and Norwalt, and public agencies such as FDOT District 7.

Sources (23)