Career profile · 17-3024
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
Operate, test, maintain, or adjust unmanned, automated, servomechanical, or electromechanical equipment. May operate unmanned submarines, aircraft, or other equipment to observe or record visual information at sites such as oil rigs, crop fields, buildings, or for similar infrastructure, deep ocean exploration, or hazardous waste removal. May assist engineers in testing and designing robotics equipment.
What the work can involve
- Test performance of electromechanical assemblies, using test instruments such as oscilloscopes, electronic voltmeters, or bridges.
- Install or program computer hardware or machine or instrumentation software in microprocessor-based systems.
- Read blueprints, schematics, diagrams, or technical orders to determine methods and sequences of assembly.
- Modify, maintain, or repair electrical, electronic, or mechanical components, equipment, or systems to ensure proper functioning.
- Inspect parts for surface defects.
- Install electrical or electronic parts and hardware in housings or assemblies, using soldering equipment and hand tools.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Mathematics
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Working with Computers
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician385 institutions →
- Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician140 institutions →
- Instrumentation Technology/Technician88 institutions →
- Robotics Technology/Technician80 institutions →
- Automation Engineer Technology/Technician113 institutions →
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology/Technician64 institutions →
- Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Other98 institutions →
- Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician191 institutions →
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 56.1%08/2022 · sample 43 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 43.0%08/2022 · sample 41 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 77.0%08/2022 · sample 41 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a week or more but not every day | 33.0%08/2022 · sample 41 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Continually or almost continually | 28.2%08/2022 · sample 43 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 41.4%08/2022 · sample 42 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 52.4%08/2022 · sample 43 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 48.9%08/2022 · sample 43 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 63.6%08/2022 · sample 42 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 82.6%08/2022 · sample 43 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: Automation Studio, Circuit simulation software, CloudCompare, ESRI ArcGIS software
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, National Instruments Multisim
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: Rapid prototyping software
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access
- Development environment software: National Instruments LabVIEW
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Manufacturing resource planning MRP software, Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management PLM, SAP software
- Facilities management software: Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Graphics or photo imaging software: McNeel Rhinoceros 3D
- Industrial control software: Human machine interface HMI software, Motion control software, Programmable logic controller PLC software, Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Object or component oriented development software: C++, Python
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 40 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,660 | $32.05 | 70 |
| Alaska | $80,290 | $38.60 | 40 |
| Arizona | $80,930 | $38.91 | 120 |
| California | $81,550 | $39.21 | 1,850 |
| Colorado | $74,730 | $35.93 | 570 |
| Connecticut | $81,860 | $39.36 | 140 |
| Florida | $75,450 | $36.28 | 500 |
| Georgia | $68,720 | $33.04 | 170 |
| Idaho | $70,830 | $34.05 | 120 |
| Illinois | $79,400 | $38.18 | 250 |
| Indiana | $47,440 | $22.81 | 290 |
| Iowa | $73,010 | $35.10 | 180 |
| Kentucky | $65,270 | $31.38 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $75,410 | $36.26 | 120 |
| Maine | $82,510 | $39.67 | Not published |
| Maryland | $75,330 | $36.22 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $73,630 | $35.40 | 920 |
| Michigan | $62,460 | $30.03 | 850 |
| Minnesota | $61,670 | $29.65 | 400 |
| Mississippi | $71,420 | $34.34 | 70 |
| Missouri | $65,360 | $31.43 | 230 |
| Montana | $77,340 | $37.19 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $72,800 | $35.00 | 130 |
| Nevada | $82,010 | $39.43 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $75,780 | $36.44 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $60,040 | $28.87 | 200 |
| New Mexico | $119,320 | $57.37 | 670 |
| New York | $68,010 | $32.70 | 410 |
| North Carolina | $63,330 | $30.45 | 800 |
| North Dakota | $82,820 | $39.82 | 90 |
| Ohio | $73,050 | $35.12 | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $65,100 | $31.30 | 140 |
| Oregon | $67,140 | $32.28 | 160 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,710 | $35.92 | 650 |
| South Carolina | $67,610 | $32.50 | 270 |
| Tennessee | $64,720 | $31.12 | 190 |
| Texas | $54,460 | $26.18 | 1,800 |
| Virginia | $74,880 | $36.00 | 570 |
| Washington | $81,220 | $39.05 | 570 |
| Wisconsin | $76,290 | $36.68 | 580 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 79 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians→
- Automotive Engineering Technicians→
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians→
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters→
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay→
- Mechanical Drafters→
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 17-3024.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.