PLC Controls Engineer, Manufacturing Automation
Quick facts
- Type
- Full-time
- Location
- Southaven, MS
- Background
- Bachelor's degree
- Industry
- Manufacturing and Logistics — 110 open jobs
- Visa in listing
- H-1B
- Apply
- Free to apply — never pay anyone for a job offer or visa sponsorship
Job description
Big-plant engineering, small-town cost of living.
A global manufacturer with a large machining and assembly plant in Northeast Mississippi is hiring a PLC Controls Engineer. Base pay is in line with the big metros, and your money goes a lot further here: a real house on an engineer's salary, and a short commute.
Your work:
- Improve and modify existing electrical, robotic and PLC automation on machining lines
- Troubleshoot hard problems and lead emergency repairs when a line stops
- Run capital projects with outside suppliers, on schedule and on budget
- Keep records and documentation to ISO standards; support Six Sigma projects
- Mentor technicians and engineers
Your background:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (required)
- 7+ years of automation experience, manufacturing preferred
- Extensive Siemens PLC and TIA Portal experience
- Profibus, Profisafe, Safety Integrated and ASI-Bus
- FANUC robots and vision, Cognex vision and Atlas Copco tools (strongly preferred)
- Knowledge of electrical codes; mechanical and safety codes a plus
- AutoCAD and Microsoft Office
Benefits worth reading twice:
- Fully funded pension plan (yes, still), plus a 401(k) with a dollar-for-dollar match up to 5%
- Relocation assistance from the Southaven area
- Medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA and EAP
- Company-paid short and long-term disability and life insurance
- Tuition reimbursement
- 10+ paid vacation days, 12 paid holidays and sick time
Work authorization: TN and H-1B sponsorship considered for qualified candidates.
On-site in Northeast Mississippi. Apply with your resume or message me. Confidential.
Visa sponsorship record
No public sponsorship records foundWe didn't find H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 or green card (PERM) filings under the name Rauch & Associates in the Department of Labor and USCIS data. That doesn't mean the job can't be sponsored — the company may file under a different legal name, be new to sponsorship, or sponsor a visa that isn't in these datasets (for example H-2B or J-1).
Tip: ask the recruiter early, in writing, which visa they sponsor and whether they cover the legal and filing fees.
Which visas can work for this job
Occupation: Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199) — estimated from the job title.
- Mentioned in the listing
H-1B
- H-1B cap-exempt employer
Regular cap-subject employer — a new H-1B needs to win the lottery in March (unless you already hold cap-counted H-1B status).
- TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico)
This kind of role may fit the USMCA profession “Engineer” — it depends on the actual duties. No lottery, no cap; you need the matching degree or license.
- E-3 (Australia) and H-1B1 (Chile, Singapore)
Same degree requirement as H-1B, but no lottery and a separate quota that is rarely filled.
- O-1 (extraordinary ability)
For candidates with awards, publications, press, a high salary or critical roles at distinguished organizations. No cap, no lottery; the employer files a petition.
- STEM OPT extension (F-1 students)
Requires an E-Verify employer. We didn't find this company in the E-Verify list — ask HR.
Salary vs prevailing wage
Engineers, All Other · Memphis, TN-MS-AR. Annual prevailing wages set by the Department of Labor (OFLC).
| Level | Prevailing wage | H-1B lottery odds* |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | $58,594 | ~15% |
| Level II | $76,190 | ~31% |
| Level III | $93,808 | ~46% |
| Level IV | $111,405 | ~61% |
The listing has no salary, so we can't place it on a wage level. Ask the employer which wage level they'd file at: Level III–IV registrations get 3–4 entries in the H-1B lottery.
* Odds are DHS projections for the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery (actual results vary by year and employer). Since the FY2027 cap season the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: Level I = 1 entry, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4. The level is set by the offered wage against the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. Separately, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions for workers outside the US was announced in 2025; as of September 2026 a federal court ruling keeps it unenforceable while appeals continue — check the current status.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data (H-1B/H-1B1/E-3 LCA, PERM), OFLC prevailing wage data, USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, E-Verify participating employers. Data loaded: LCA FY2024–FY2026, PERM, USCIS Data Hub, OFLC wages; updated 2026-10-03. Employers are matched by name, so records of companies with similar names can occasionally be mixed up. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to an immigration attorney about your case.