What Does a Building Automation Supervisor Do?
The comfort of classrooms, the stability of research labs, and the size of the energy bill all rest on how well a building automation shop is run. Building automation supervisors make sure that its technicians follow a shared programming standard, and that alarms are answered and repairs closed out on time. The role is common at universities, hospital systems and large property firms.
Also known as: Building Automation Systems Supervisor
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Electrical and Instrumentation Supervisor (E and I Supervisor), Facilities Maintenance Supervisor, Facility Maintenance Supervisor, Maintenance Coordinator, Maintenance Foreman, Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Planner, Maintenance Superintendent.
Building Automation Supervisor Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a building automation supervisor include:
- Assign and check the work of controls technicians, apprentices and contractors, and pitch in on hard problems.
- Set programming, naming and graphics standards so every building's controls look and behave alike.
- Review contractor control drawings and written sequences for renovations and new buildings.
- Run the on-call rotation for after-hours alarms and follow up on repeat failures.
- Manage service contracts and software licenses with controls vendors, and approve their invoices.
- Secure the automation network, servers and remote access accounts with help from campus IT.
- Plan the controls budget for parts, upgrades and replacement of obsolete panels.
- Hire, train and evaluate specialists, and track the vendor courses each one has completed.
- Sign off on start-up testing before new systems are handed over to the facilities team.
- Report energy savings, open work orders and system health to facilities leadership each month.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a building automation supervisor, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Expert command of a major platform such as Metasys or Niagara
- Crew leadership and fair scheduling
- Contract and vendor management
- Budgeting for parts, labor and upgrades
- Network security basics for building systems
- Reading mechanical and controls drawings
- Clear writing for standards, reports and procedures
- Composure during after-hours building emergencies
Education and Training
Several years as a controls technician could lead to this post. Getting the job with only a high school diploma might be possible, but candidates with an HVAC or electronics certificate will have an edge over other applicants. Promotion usually comes from within.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $62,690 - $101,360 per year, with a median of $79,860.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers, the broad group that includes this role, is projected to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. That group is large, with about 48,900 openings a year, yet controls shops are small and a supervisor post may open only when someone retires. Given that most large buildings now run on digital controls, technicians with a track record of leading projects are well placed when one does.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers.
Building Automation Supervisor Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $49,600 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $62,690 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $79,860 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $101,360 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $126,790 |
Highest-Paying States for Building Automation Supervisors
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Alaska ($98,110), Washington ($94,420), Connecticut ($94,050), California ($93,660), New Jersey ($92,680). Pay is lowest in Arkansas ($71,460), West Virginia ($71,360), Mississippi ($70,900).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $74,830 |
| Alaska | $98,110 |
| Arizona | $76,240 |
| Arkansas | $71,460 |
| California | $93,660 |
| Colorado | $83,260 |
| Connecticut | $94,050 |
| Delaware | $83,250 |
| District of Columbia | $83,460 |
| Florida | $75,900 |
| Georgia | $77,010 |
| Hawaii | $87,550 |
| Idaho | $74,940 |
| Illinois | $83,180 |
| Indiana | $79,650 |
| Iowa | $78,340 |
| Kansas | $78,390 |
| Kentucky | $76,760 |
| Louisiana | $75,550 |
| Maine | $79,260 |
| Maryland | $82,330 |
| Massachusetts | $92,250 |
| Michigan | $77,810 |
| Minnesota | $87,160 |
| Mississippi | $70,900 |
| Missouri | $77,470 |
| Montana | $81,440 |
| Nebraska | $77,850 |
| Nevada | $79,860 |
| New Hampshire | $87,560 |
| New Jersey | $92,680 |
| New Mexico | $77,550 |
| New York | $91,150 |
| North Carolina | $76,800 |
| North Dakota | $90,600 |
| Ohio | $78,730 |
| Oklahoma | $77,040 |
| Oregon | $86,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $79,400 |
| Rhode Island | $78,840 |
| South Carolina | $75,120 |
| South Dakota | $80,810 |
| Tennessee | $75,830 |
| Texas | $76,760 |
| Utah | $78,930 |
| Vermont | $83,050 |
| Virginia | $80,770 |
| Washington | $94,420 |
| West Virginia | $71,360 |
| Wisconsin | $82,570 |
| Wyoming | $87,460 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 88% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 86% are on the phone every day
- 86% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 82% use email every day
- 71% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 61% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 54% have a lot of freedom to make decisions
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 54% |
| Some college | 17% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 13% |
| Bachelor's degree | 8% |
Tools and Software Building Automation Supervisors Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Monitoring, Management of Personnel Resources, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making.
Knowledge areas used most: Administration and Management, Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 49-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.