Know your market value with insights across roles — from individual contributors to executive pay and overall company compensation trends.
Access a suite of powerful calculators to make data-driven career decisions.
Automate pay cycles, manage job architectures, and ensure pay equity with AI-powered compensation platforms.
Access validated salary benchmarks, labor market trends, and minimum wage data to stay competitive.
Participate in and purchase industry-specific salary surveys to obtain the most accurate, peer-reported pay data.
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Automation Engineering Manager in Virginia is $168,600 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $81.
However, a Automation Engineering Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
Smart Recruiting
Recruit with AI
Automation Engineering Manager Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $187,600 | $15,633 | $3,608 | $90 |
| Average | $168,600 | $14,050 | $3,242 | $81 |
| 25th Percentile | $159,700 | $13,308 | $3,071 | $77 |
Link Technical Talent - Newport News, VA
SubSea Craft - Virginia Beach, VA
SZNS Solutions LLC - Reston, VA
KBR - Wallops Island, VA
A Automation Engineering Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Automation Engineering Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Job Role | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Control Systems Engineer II | 2-4 years | $108,243 |
| Control Systems Engineer III | 4-7 years | $123,046 |
| Control Systems Engineer IV | 7+ years | $150,541 |
| Automation Engineer V | 7-10 years | $165,597 |
| Automation Engineering Manager | 10+ years | $168,524 |
What Am I Worth?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Automation Engineering Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
Automation Engineering Manager salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $188,872. While startup companies pay approximate $159,925.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $159,925 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $169,082 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $182,425 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $188,872 |
For Automation Engineering Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Construction and MFG Durable sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Automation Engineering Manager positions in Chemicals or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Automation Engineering Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
| Industry Sector | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Rate | Pay vs.Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $219,180 | $105.0 | 30% |
| MFG Durable | $193,890 | $93.0 | 15% |
| Business Services | $185,460 | $89.0 | 10% |
| Transportation | $185,460 | $89.0 | 10% |
| Energy & Utilities | $177,030 | $85.0 | 5% |
Understanding how a Automation Engineering Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $187,600 | $15,633 | $3,608 | $90 |
| Average | $168,600 | $14,050 | $3,242 | $81 |
| 25th Percentile | $159,700 | $13,308 | $3,071 | $77 |
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Automation Engineering Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Umbra
Arlington, VA
Umbra | Arlington, VA
Job Description. Job Description. Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower custo... more
5 Days Ago
The Aerospace Corporation
Chantilly, VA
The Aerospace Corporation | Chantilly, VA
The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation's space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. ... more
4 Days Ago
Amazon
Herndon, VA
Amazon | Herndon, VA
Do you dream of working in a role where your talent with building HVAC and plumbing design and next-generation data center design can be merged. Do you wan... more
4 Days Ago
Evergreen Talent Partners
Buena Vista, VA
Evergreen Talent Partners | Buena Vista, VA
Engineering Manager – Design. Buena Vista, VA | Onsite. Full-Time | 0–10% Travel. $140,000 - $200,000. Lead Product Design & Engineering for a Global HVAC ... more
4 Days Ago
ICF
Reston, VA
ICF | Reston, VA
ICF seeks a dynamic and highly effective Software Engineering Manager to support our Health Analytics Research and Technology (HART) Line of Business.ICF i... more
4 Days Ago
ClearanceJobs
McLean, VA
ClearanceJobs | McLean, VA
Sr Talent Acquisition Partner - Product & TechnologyYour work days are brighter here. We're obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our cus... more
4 Days Ago
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
Explore Cost of Living CalculatorSalary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.
Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
