Food and beverage plants are hiring automation engineers who can program and troubleshoot PLCs, integrate robots and packaging lines, connect plant data to MES and reporting systems, design for washdown and food safety, and secure operational technology. Plants are automating to cope with labor shortages and to run more products on the same lines, and the people who can make that equipment work reliably are scarce. This article covers why plants are automating, the skills in demand, what the roles pay and how to hire.
Why food and beverage plants are automating
The labor problem is the starting point. A 2024 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute estimated that US manufacturing could need 3.8 million additional workers between 2024 and 2033, and that 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled if skills and applicant gaps are not addressed. In PMMI's 2025 Inside the Workforce Gap research, 95% of CPG companies said they struggle to hire skilled operators and technicians, and nearly 60% expected hiring to get harder.
Investment is following. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) reported that North American robot orders from food and consumer goods companies rose 105% year over year in the third quarter of 2025, within total orders of 8,806 robots for the quarter. Much of that is end-of-line work such as case packing, palletizing and inspection, but plants are also automating loading, changeovers and quality checks.
Every new robot or line adds control software that someone must commission, maintain and improve. That is why automation and controls engineers are among the hardest engineering roles for food and beverage plants to fill.
Which automation skills are plants hiring for?
Job titles vary between automation engineer, controls engineer and automation technician, but the underlying skills are consistent. The table shows the main skill areas and why they matter in food and beverage plants.
| Skill area | What it involves | Why it matters in food and beverage |
|---|---|---|
| PLC programming | Writing and modifying ladder logic and structured text on platforms such as Rockwell and Siemens | Most line faults and changeover problems are solved in the PLC; plants need people who can fix code, not just reset it |
| HMI and SCADA | Building operator screens, alarms and supervisory control | Clear HMIs help newer operators run lines; PMMI found only 14% of companies rate printed procedures effective for training |
| Robotics and motion | Integrating and programming robots, servo drives and vision systems | End-of-line automation is growing fastest, and vision is used for inspection and coding checks |
| MES and data integration | Connecting machines to OEE, batch records and production reporting | Traceability and line efficiency depend on reliable data from the plant floor |
| Hygienic design | Specifying equipment and enclosures for washdown and allergen control | Automation must meet food safety requirements and survive daily sanitation |
| OT cybersecurity | Network segmentation, access control and patching for control systems, often guided by ISA/IEC 62443 | Connected plants are more exposed, and a cyber incident can stop production |
PLCs, data and the connected plant
The most common gap is not advanced robotics but solid controls fundamentals. Plants with a mix of old and new equipment need engineers who can read older code, migrate obsolete controllers and keep lines running during upgrades. Candidates who have commissioned a line, not only maintained one, are especially valuable because they understand how the equipment was meant to work.
Data skills come next. Many plants are adding OEE tracking, electronic batch records and links to enterprise systems. That work sits between controls and IT, so engineers who can work with both teams are in demand. It also raises cybersecurity questions, and the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards is widely used as the reference for securing industrial automation and control systems.
Automation engineer, controls engineer or technician?
Most plants need both engineers and technicians. Engineers design, program and lead projects; technicians install, troubleshoot and maintain. In smaller plants one person often does both, which makes the role harder to fill. Automation technicians frequently come from maintenance and reliability backgrounds, and many automation engineers later move into engineering management.
Shift patterns and on-call duties matter as much as base pay. Plants running around the clock often need automation support on nights and weekends, and candidates weigh shift premiums, on-call pay and overtime heavily when comparing offers.
Where to find automation engineers for food plants
Few candidates are already working in food plants and actively looking, so the search has to go wider. System integrators and machine builders employ many controls engineers who have commissioned lines across several industries; some want a single site and less travel. Beverage, pharmaceutical and consumer goods plants use similar platforms and hygiene standards. Field service engineers from packaging machinery suppliers know the equipment inside out.
Longer term, plants are growing their own. The Deloitte and Manufacturing Institute study found that 73% of manufacturers surveyed partner with technical colleges, and 47% said apprenticeships, work studies or internships were the most effective way to raise interest in manufacturing careers. Pairing a senior controls engineer with technicians on a structured development path is one of the more reliable ways to build bench strength.
How to hire an automation engineer for a food plant
A hiring process built around the plant's real needs:
- Audit your control platforms. List PLC, HMI, robot and MES platforms on site, and which are critical, so the brief names the exact skills required.
- Decide engineer or technician. Be clear whether the role designs and leads projects, keeps lines running, or both, and set pay and shift expectations to match.
- Widen the pool. Consider candidates from beverage, pharmaceutical, packaging machinery builders and system integrators, who bring transferable controls experience.
- Test hands-on. Use a practical exercise, such as diagnosing a fault from a PLC program extract or an alarm history, rather than relying on interview answers.
- Check hygiene and safety knowledge. Ask how the candidate has handled washdown, allergen changeovers and machine safety in past projects.
- Offer development. Training on new platforms and clear progression to senior or lead roles help you compete with integrators and other plants.
- Move fast. Good controls candidates often have several offers, so keep to two stages and decide within days.
Automation projects often sit alongside wider process improvement. Our process engineering recruitment team works with plants that need both.
Questions about automation engineers in food manufacturing
They design, program and improve the control systems, robots and machines on production and packaging lines. Typical work includes PLC and HMI programming, commissioning new equipment, troubleshooting faults and connecting machines to plant data systems.
PLC programming, HMI and SCADA, robotics and vision, data integration with MES and OEE systems, hygienic design and OT cybersecurity. Experience of washdown environments and food safety rules is a strong advantage.
The titles are often used interchangeably. Some plants use controls engineer for PLC and electrical control work and automation engineer for broader robotics and systems projects. Check the scope, not the title.
At the time of our last update (October 2026), Indeed reported an average controls engineer base of $94,048, with a typical range of $59,091 to $149,687. Shift premiums, on-call pay and overtime can add significantly.
Demand is rising as plants automate, while experienced engineers are retiring and system integrators and other industries compete for the same people. Plants also often need someone who combines controls skills with food safety knowledge.
TRG FMCG recruits automation, controls and engineering teams for food and beverage manufacturers across the US. See how our automation and controls engineer recruitment works.