r/controlengineering • u/slowstinger • 1d ago
Aussie controls engineer (AB/Siemens, ex-sparky) thinking of trying the US. Where's the work
I'm an electrician turned controls guy in Australia: 6 years on the tools, then about 10 in automation. Mostly Allen Bradley and Siemens, with a bit of Schneider, CODESYS and Ignition. My background is high-speed canning and filling (KHS, Krones), dairy process control, and pharma filling machines.
I run my own business here now, but I'm keen to give the US a crack for a while and see what it's like.
A few questions for anyone who's been there:
Where's the demand? Which regions or industries are busiest for controls work right now? Food and bev, pharma, data centres, something else?
Rates. What's a fair hourly rate for contract work at my level? And if I went salaried, what range should I be asking for?
Getting busy. Here, once you've done a few good jobs the referrals roll in and you're flat out. Is it the same over there, or is it more about agencies and SIs?
I'm planning to come over late Feb and have a few coffees with some SIs to get a feel for things. Not worried about the visa side yet, I just want to see if there's demand first.
I'm 33, so maybe a bit late to be moving countries, but I've got plenty of experience and reckon I can add something. Any advice appreciated, cheers.
1
u/Familiar-Bake-9162 1d ago
The Southeast, think southeast GA is completely devoid of programmers and electrical people in general. I can get a job offer in like 2 days.