Also called: PLC Engineer, Control Systems Engineer
Programs the controllers that run factory machines, conveyor lines, water plants and building systems.
You write PLC code for a bottling line so it slows down when a jam is detected. Then you're on the plant floor at 2 a.m. during a shutdown, testing every sensor before the line restarts.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in electrical, mechanical or controls engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Not tracked separately by BLS; robotics hiring is growing quickly.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI tools draft PLC code and diagnose faults, trimming routine programming; commissioning lines on the floor stays human.
Classes: Physics, Computer science, Electronics CTE, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2199.
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