Average Controls Software Engineer Salary in Brazil for 2026
A controls software engineer in Brazil earns about 83,060 BRL a year. That's 18% below the national average of 101,120 BRL.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Brazil sit around 39,960 BRL a year, while the very top stretches to 136,100 BRL. Everything on this page is in Brazilian real (BRL, symbol R$), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Brazil, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a controls software engineer make in Brazil?
A typical controls software engineer working in Brazil brings home around 6,921 BRL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 39,960 BRL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 136,100 BRL for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior controls software engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How controls software engineer pay ranges in Brazil
A good way to think about salary in Brazil is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all controls software engineers in Brazil earn less than 91,580 BRL a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 58,240 BRL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 119,900 BRL (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of controls software engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 39,960 BRL. The highest stretch to 136,100 BRL, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Controls software engineer pay by experience in Brazil
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a controls software engineer in Brazil, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical controls software engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years43,340 BRL
- 2-5 Years+39% from previous60,400 BRL
- 5-10 Years+42% from previous85,700 BRL
- 10-15 Years+26% from previous107,680 BRL
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous116,960 BRL
- 20+ Years+6% from previous124,400 BRL
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a controls software engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Controls software engineer pay by education in Brazil
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving controls software engineer pay in Brazil. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average controls software engineer salary in Brazil broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree52,540 BRL
- Master's Degree+86% from previous97,880 BRL
Controls software engineer gender pay gap in Brazil
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Brazil is no exception. Male controls software engineers in Brazil earn an average of 91,380 BRL a year, while female controls software engineers earn around 77,340 BRL. That works out to a 18% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Controls Software Engineer gender pay gap
15%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Brazil.
Pay raises for a controls software engineer in Brazil
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Brazil sees a raise of about 11% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Brazil, the national average raise is around 9% every 16 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Brazil:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Controls software engineer bonus rates in Brazil
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
59% of controls software engineers in Brazil reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a controls software engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 41% of controls software engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Brazil
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Controls software engineer: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Brazil is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
7%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Brazil on average.
Controls software engineer salary by city in Brazil
Controls software engineer pay is not even across Brazil. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Sao Paulo
- Brasilia
- Manaus
- Salvador
- Fortaleza
- Belo Horizonte
- Recife
- Rio de Janeiro
- Goiania
- Curitiba
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sao Paulo | City | 96,340 BRL | 103,600 BRL | 44,140-151,800 BRL |
| Brasilia | City | 93,280 BRL | 101,920 BRL | 43,220-148,300 BRL |
| Manaus | City | 89,340 BRL | 97,840 BRL | 41,560-142,300 BRL |
| Salvador | City | 88,300 BRL | 96,500 BRL | 42,460-142,300 BRL |
| Fortaleza | City | 88,260 BRL | 93,220 BRL | 41,700-138,200 BRL |
| Belo Horizonte | City | 87,640 BRL | 95,420 BRL | 42,320-142,300 BRL |
| Recife | City | 87,640 BRL | 95,420 BRL | 42,320-142,300 BRL |
| Rio de Janeiro | City | 87,040 BRL | 96,720 BRL | 38,780-138,800 BRL |
| Goiania | City | 85,460 BRL | 91,380 BRL | 36,720-134,600 BRL |
| Curitiba | City | 85,460 BRL | 91,380 BRL | 36,720-134,600 BRL |
| Campinas | City | 84,780 BRL | 90,900 BRL | 38,680-130,400 BRL |
| Sao Luis | City | 81,960 BRL | 87,760 BRL | 39,640-128,900 BRL |
| Joao Pessoa | City | 81,880 BRL | 88,580 BRL | 39,160-128,500 BRL |
| Porto Alegre | City | 80,920 BRL | 84,880 BRL | 38,180-127,700 BRL |
| Belem | City | 79,500 BRL | 87,880 BRL | 35,420-129,000 BRL |
| Teresina | City | 79,260 BRL | 87,020 BRL | 35,260-127,700 BRL |
| Natal | City | 79,120 BRL | 85,460 BRL | 35,340-125,100 BRL |
| Maceio | City | 78,960 BRL | 83,200 BRL | 34,120-123,400 BRL |
| Londrina | City | 78,420 BRL | 83,140 BRL | 37,200-123,400 BRL |
| Macapa | City | 77,340 BRL | 85,880 BRL | 35,000-124,400 BRL |
| Santos | City | 77,060 BRL | 80,760 BRL | 33,980-119,860 BRL |
| Aracaju | City | 74,940 BRL | 80,840 BRL | 34,960-120,040 BRL |
| Cuiaba | City | 74,380 BRL | 81,880 BRL | 33,980-119,700 BRL |
| Vale do Aco | City | 73,760 BRL | 78,260 BRL | 34,480-119,560 BRL |
| Petrolina and Juazeiro | City | 72,260 BRL | 78,620 BRL | 35,500-117,520 BRL |
| Maringa | City | 69,780 BRL | 75,500 BRL | 33,120-111,900 BRL |
| Vitoria | City | 69,260 BRL | 74,300 BRL | 31,520-112,620 BRL |
Controls Software Engineer in Brazil: FAQs
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How much does a controls software engineer make per month in Brazil?
A controls software engineer in Brazil earns about 6,921 BRL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 83,060 BRL.
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What's the salary range for a controls software engineer in Brazil?
Entry-level controls software engineers in Brazil start near 39,960 BRL. Top-end pay reaches around 136,100 BRL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 58,240 and 119,900 BRL.
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Is the median controls software engineer salary in Brazil higher or lower than the average?
The median is 91,580 BRL, higher than the average of 83,060 BRL. Half of controls software engineers in Brazil earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for controls software engineers in Brazil?
Men working as a controls software engineer in Brazil earn around 18% more than women on average (91,380 vs 77,340 BRL a year).
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Do controls software engineers in Brazil get bonuses?
About 59% of controls software engineers in Brazil reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.
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Do controls software engineers earn more in the public or private sector in Brazil?
In Brazil, the public sector pays a controls software engineer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do controls software engineers in Brazil get a pay raise?
A controls software engineer in Brazil sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.