To hire a contract PLC programmer, write down the platform, the job, the schedule and the rate, post it as an hourly contract, and choose from the programmers who apply, or search for one and request them by name. On Automate America's 104 public postings for PLC programmers the median public rate is $68 an hour, and posting costs nothing.
Start with the platform
A PLC programmer is rarely interchangeable across platforms. Name the controller family and the software: Siemens S7-1200 or S7-1500 in TIA Portal, Allen-Bradley in Studio 5000, Omron in Sysmac Studio, or whatever runs your line. If the logic must move from one platform to another, say both. A programmer reading the posting should know in one line whether it is their work.
Say what the job is
Commissioning a new line, supporting a running one and changing existing logic are three different jobs. Commissioning needs someone who can bring equipment up, check I/O and communications, and stay through validation and launch. Production support needs fast troubleshooting on a running plant. Changes need someone who can read another person's program before they touch it. Put the equipment in the posting too: presses, conveyors, robots, test stands.
Set the rate
Across 104 public hourly postings for PLC programmers since 2017, the median public rate is $68 an hour and the middle half sits between $56 and $76. Postings from 2024 on have a median of $74. By state:
| State or province | Median public rate | Middle half | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $68 | $60 to $81 | 29 |
| Michigan | $60 | $54 to $68 | 26 |
| North Carolina | $77 | $68 to $77 | 10 |
| Kentucky | $60 | $56 to $68 | 6 |
| Ohio | $72 | $49 to $81 | 5 |
One open example in November 2026: a commissioning contract in Sterling Heights, Michigan pays $80 an hour base and $120 overtime for about two weeks on Siemens and Omron, and asks the programmer to bring a laptop with licensed TIA Portal and Sysmac Studio. Short, specialised starts tend to sit at the top of the range.
Post it, or go and find someone
Post the contract at automateamerica.com/post-work, and programmers apply with their profiles. Or search professionals by platform, skill and place, and request the one you want by name. The PLC programmer page lists the people who do this work.
What to look for on a profile
Automate America is an open marketplace: it does not pre-screen professionals. You judge each person from what the profile shows: finished contracts, ratings, reviews, connections and endorsements. Look for the platforms named on their skills, finished contracts on similar equipment, and whether they marked themselves available this week.
How Automate America works
On the new Automate America, companies post hourly contracts, direct jobs and RFQs at no cost, search for professionals in plain words or on the map, and request the person they want by name. Professionals who mark themselves available this week come first. A member can also connect their own AI assistant, such as ChatGPT or Claude, to draft a posting or run the search, with the member's yes on the big steps.
Post a contract · Search and request professionals · What contracts pay · Browse every open contract
Next steps on Automate America
- Post your work free — Set the rate you want to pay. Posting and receiving applicants cost nothing.
- Create your free profile — Your completed work, platforms and reviews in one record that customers search.
- Search open contracts — Every open contract and what it pays, updated as they post.
- Find professionals — Search thousands of professionals by skill, platform and location.
- Training and certification — Build the skills the contracts above are actually asking for.
Explore more
- Browse every open contract
- Find skilled professionals
- See the companies hiring
- Work by occupation
- Training programs
- More from the Automate America blog
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Tony Wallace, Co-Founder · Automate America · Text first 586-770-8083 · TonyW@AutomateAmerica.com
