Automation & Controls Engineer Lead Plant Innovation

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Controls Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $97k–$140k.

Median of the low and high ends of 273 live postings that list pay, out of 812 controls engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

South Dakota plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 811 other live controls postings in the US.

Base pay

Not listed in this posting

Typical $97k–$140k, from 273 postings that list pay.

Experience asked

Not stated

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

• ✓ Automation 73%
• ✓ PLC 71%
• Robotics 38%
• Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 26%
• Root cause 25%
• Team leadership 20%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1. 1

   Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Sfdbrands

   Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

2. 2

   Send a short, curious note

   One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

3. 3

   Turn a reply into a short call

   Questions worth asking about this team:

   • What does a normal week look like on your team?
   • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4. 4

   Apply with someone vouching for you

   If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

5. 5

   Bring proof to the interview

   One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.