Automation: Salary Survey Results for 2008

Great news! In one year, the average overall salary jumped from $83,623 to $88,252...roughly a 5.5% increase since 2007. I've always said that with the skills shortage in our industry, automation professionals will be in higher demand and, as a result, they will be able to command higher salaries. This is proof of that trend.

It pays to obtain an advanced degree (or even attend some graduate school)...those with an advanced degree have a $11,566 higher annual salary ($101,332) than those with a bachelor's degree ($89,766). This salary difference increased by more than $1500 since last year.

The highest paying job function was Engineering Management at $112,118. General or Operations Management was next in line at $106,900, followed by Outside Sales at $103,060. It pays to be in management! And as you might expect the next highest salary was associated with all those hard working outside sales guys.

The highest paid degrees were Chemical Engineering at $106,500 followed by Mechanical Engineering at $98,085.

Guess which region within the U.S. demands the highest salary. If you guessed Southern California, you're WRONG. The full Southwest region takes the cake this year with an average salary $101,199. The Pacific Northwest region came in second at $96,211, with Southern California coming in third at $93,424.

Independent contractors (7.1% of respondents) are bringing in an average of $100,000 per year compared to the $87,464 salary of direct employees...that's more than a $12,536 difference.

Professionals working for very small companies (fewer than 30 people) are paid higher than those working for companies with 30 to 49 people, or those working for companies with 250 to 499. But otherwise, the larger the company, the higher the compensation.

View the Complete Salary Survey Results - 2008

If you have any comments or questions regarding our 2008 survey or results, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Rick manages the Automation.com web site business, acts as editor-in-chief, and is responsible for advertising and marketing of the web site and services. In addition, Rick works closely with advertisers to tailor online advertising campaigns that will best meet their goals. See More Details....