P&C Engineer salary — 2026 national benchmark
Protection & Control (P&C) engineers design, configure, and commission the relay and control systems that protect electric utility substations from faults. They work with platforms like SEL, GE Multilin, ABB, and Schweitzer relays, write relay settings calculations, draw P&C drawings (AC/DC schematics, panel layouts), and ensure compliance with NERC PRC standards. The role is critical to grid reliability and is one of the most-searched specialties in U.S. utility hiring.
National salary range
P&C Engineer, all U.S. geographies, base salary plus total cash compensation (TCC = base + bonus).
Effective 2026-05-01 · Data quarter Q2 2026
Typical responsibilities
- •Relay setting calculations and coordination studies
- •P&C drawing packages: AC/DC schematics, three-line, panel layouts
- •Substation commissioning and field testing support
- •IEC 61850 / DNP3 substation automation design
- •NERC PRC compliance documentation
- •Coordination with planning, design, and SCADA teams
State-level breakouts
Salary varies significantly by region. Click a state below for a state-specific salary range.
No state-level data published yet.
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