PEAK Technical Staffing

Automation & Controls Technician Staffing & Recruitment

Keep your automation running, systems integrated, and production floor moving. Let PEAK find experienced automation and controls technicians, so your facility isn't waiting on platform-specific expertise that's genuinely hard to find.

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50+

Years placing technical professionals in hard-to-fill markets

U.S. states covered with regional and local talent pipelines

Discipline Expertise

Automation & Controls Roles We Place

Role	What They Do
Automation Technicians	Installs, programs, and troubleshoots automated machinery and control systems in manufacturing and industrial environments, working across PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, and related equipment to keep production running.
Controls Technicians	Maintains and modifies control system hardware and software in production environments: diagnosing faults, updating logic, and supporting continuous improvement on the plant floor.
PLC Technicians & Programmers	Writes, modifies, and troubleshoots PLC programs across platforms including Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff, Fanuc, Schneider, and ABB.
SCADA Technicians	Configures, maintains, and supports SCADA systems used for real-time monitoring and control of industrial processes.
DCS Technicians	Works with distributed control systems in continuous process environments where centralized process control and precise system configuration are essential.
Building Automation Technicians	Programs and maintains building management systems (BMS) controlling HVAC, electrical, and other critical building infrastructure, with particular relevance in AI data center and mission-critical facility environments.
Controls Engineers	Designs and implements control system architectures across new and existing manufacturing and industrial facilities, bridging the gap between mechanical systems and automation logic.
Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Technicians	Installs and maintains the pressure, temperature, flow, and level sensors that feed data to control systems in regulated and process-intensive environments.

Why Work with PEAK?

National reach, local connections.

PEAK has spent decades building relationships in regions where demand is high and talent is scarce.

Total talent management.

We go beyond filling reqs. We handle the administrative and compliance requirements for critical roles.

55+ years of experience.

We know what works, what doesn't, and how to navigate a tough market. Because we've done it so many times before.

PEAK Protected™

With PEAK, Your Workforce is Always Protected

Automation and controls is the hardest category to fill in the 2026 skilled trades market. According to our 2026 Skilled Trades Workforce Outlook, average hourly wages for automation and controls technicians range from $34–38, with experienced PLC programmers and controls engineers in high-demand sectors commanding $45 or more.

Letting these positions stay open for too long creates real operational risk. Most facilities run on institutional knowledge held by one or two people, and a single equipment fault, PLC failure, or software update becomes an unplanned production stoppage with no one qualified to resolve it.

PEAK Protected™ is our proven approach to ensure your workforce is reliable, compliant, and ready to perform. This means you always have:

Operational Continuity

Your projects stay on track.

Compliance Assurance

Your workforce meets every requirement.

Safety Alignment

Your teams are prepared for your environment.

Cost Protection

You avoid the hidden costs of bad hires and vacancies.

Workforce Reliability

You get talent that performs from day one.

Learn More About PEAK Protected™ →

Where We Place

Industries and Environments

Automation and controls technicians placed by PEAK go into environments where system uptime, process precision, and platform-specific expertise are operational requirements.

Advanced Manufacturing

Automotive Supply Chain

Aerospace & Defense

Industrial Machinery & Equipment

How We Engage

Our Service Offerings

Direct Placement

Experienced automation and controls technicians are continually fielding permanent offers. PEAK helps you identify the right people, build a competitive offer, and close before a competitor does.

Contract-to-Hire

For roles where evaluating platform fit and team integration over time is genuinely necessary, PEAK structures contract-to-hire engagements that give both sides the runway to confirm the match.

Contract Staffing

For system commissioning projects, automation upgrades, production ramp-ups, or coverage needs, PEAK provides contract staffing across controls disciplines and platform specializations.

Get Started

Ready to Hire an Automation or Controls Technician?

Whether you need a PLC programmer with a specific platform background, a SCADA technician for an ongoing operations role, or controls support for a new automation buildout, let PEAK find the right person for your operation.

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Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Automation and controls technician staffing is the process of sourcing, qualifying, and placing automation professionals into manufacturing, data center, and industrial process environments. Unlike general technical staffing, controls placement requires platform-specific qualification: understanding which automation systems a candidate has hands-on experience with, and whether that experience matches the systems a given facility actually runs.

Generalist staffing firms source from broad candidate pools and apply the same screening process to every role. Automation and controls placement requires a level of technical specificity that generalist sourcing cannot reliably deliver. A technician proficient in Rockwell/Allen-Bradley is not interchangeable with one whose background is Siemens or Beckhoff, and placing the wrong platform background into a controls role creates real operational and project consequences. PEAK's recruiters understand the difference between PLC, SCADA, DCS, and BMS disciplines, qualify candidates on specific platform experience before presenting them, and operate in regional markets where we have established relationships with controls professionals who aren't actively searching.

Yes, and for most production-critical controls roles, direct placement is PEAK's recommended approach. Experienced automation technicians with platform-specific depth are among the most sought-after professionals in the trades market. They're fielding permanent offers regularly and are unlikely to wait out a contract period before making a decision. When we prioritize direct placement offers, we're able to land these people faster and without sacrificing quality.

PEAK places automation and controls technicians into advanced manufacturing, AI data center construction and operations, EV and battery manufacturing, and energy and power generation environments. These industries share a common need: systems that require ongoing expert oversight, platform-specific programming knowledge, and the kind of institutional familiarity with a facility's automation infrastructure that takes time to build and is expensive to lose.

Compliance is built into PEAK's delivery model. For every automation and controls placement, PEAK administers I-9 and E-Verify verification, ensures proper worker classification, and maintains workers' compensation coverage. For controls technicians placed into environments with specific regulatory requirements, PEAK verifies applicable credentialing and documentation requirements as part of the placement process.