National pay breakdown: every percentile, annual & hourly
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey is the single most authoritative wage dataset in the US, it covers roughly 1.2 million establishments and is mandatory for sampled employers to complete. The May 2025 release was published 2026-04-30. Here is the full national distribution for SOC 17-3024:
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,840 | $23.00/hr | First role, no prior credentials, lower-cost market |
| 25th | $59,780 | $28.74/hr | 1-3 years experience, AAS or solid cert stack |
| 50th (median) | $73,900 | $35.53/hr | 5-10 years, full proficiency at one platform |
| 75th | $88,540 | $42.57/hr | Senior technician, specialist, or high-wage geography |
| 90th | $109,890 | $52.83/hr | Lead tech, vendor specialist, semiconductor / refinery / utility tier |
| Mean | $76,420 | $36.74/hr | Pulled above median by the long upper tail |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, national cross-industry estimate for SOC 17-3024 (national_M2025_dl.xlsx, released 2026-04-30).
The annual figures assume year-round full-time employment (2,080 hours). Most plants in this field run overtime regularly, so cash compensation often exceeds the base annual number by 5-15% via OT and shift differential. Add another 8-12% for benefits load (employer-side health, 401k match, pension where applicable) when comparing to a 1099 contracting alternative.
By experience level: entry, mid-career, and late-career
The BLS OEWS doesn't publish wages by years-of-experience, so the percentile-to-experience mapping is an interpolation that pulls from two complementary data sources:
- The BLS OEWS percentile distribution (above), authoritative for "what gets paid," not "by whom."
- Salary.com's self-reported tiered data for "Mechatronics Technician", informative for "by whom," not authoritative.
| Tier | Salary.com avg | BLS percentile match | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (0-1 yr) | $56,944 | ~25th | No vendor certs, single-platform exposure, day-shift dependence |
| Intermediate (2-4 yr) | $58,127 | ~25-40th | First vendor cert, working knowledge of one PLC + one robot family |
| Senior (5-9 yr) | $59,801 | ~40-50th | Multi-platform fluency, can train juniors, owns a critical line area |
| Late career (10+ yr) | $63,119 | ~50-60th | Lead tech or specialist title; shift to people-management for further jumps |
Salary.com self-reported data for "Mechatronics Technician" job title; BLS OEWS May 2025 for percentiles. Numbers diverge: see the FAQ for why.
Honesty about the gap: Salary.com's "late career" number ($63K) sits below the BLS national median ($73,900). The reason is sample bias. Salary.com's data is self-reported, weighted toward smaller employers and earlier-career posters; the BLS sample covers every establishment that meets size thresholds, so it captures the Tesla, Boeing, Intel, and refinery payrolls that pull the upper tail. Use the BLS distribution when you negotiate; use the Salary.com tiers as evidence of shape (pay does flatten quickly after year 5 unless you change platforms, employers, or move into supervision).
By state: where the wages run highest and where the jobs concentrate
Two different "best state" lists matter depending on what you're optimizing for. The top-paying states are dominated by high cost-of-living markets (California, Washington, Maryland) plus low-supply anomalies (New Mexico). The top-employment states are the manufacturing heavyweights (California, Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina) where you have actual jobs to apply to.
Top 10 states by mean annual wage
| Rank | State | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $110,820 | $119,320 | 670 |
| 2 | California | $92,350 | $81,550 | 1,850 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $92,220 | $82,820 | 90 |
| 4 | Maryland | $90,100 | $75,330 | 90 |
| 5 | Alaska | $90,060 | $80,290 | 40 |
| 6 | Washington | $89,820 | $81,220 | 570 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $87,030 | $81,860 | 140 |
| 8 | Illinois | $82,920 | $79,400 | 250 |
| 9 | Nevada | $80,230 | $82,010 | 220 |
| 10 | Arizona | $79,560 | $80,930 | 120 |
Top 10 states by total employment
| Rank | State | Employment | Mean wage | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,850 | $92,350 | $81,550 |
| 2 | Texas | 1,800 | $64,270 | $54,460 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 920 | $75,050 | $73,630 |
| 4 | Michigan | 850 | $68,210 | $62,460 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 800 | $66,920 | $63,330 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 670 | $110,820 | $119,320 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 650 | $73,330 | $74,710 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 580 | $76,080 | $76,290 |
| 9 | Colorado | 570 | $71,540 | $74,730 |
| 10 | Virginia | 570 | $79,180 | $74,880 |
Source: BLS OEWS state estimates (May 2025), state_M2025_dl.xlsx. Total US employment for SOC 17-3024 is 15,520 per the national release.
The New Mexico anomaly is real and exploitable. NM mean of $110,820 is 45% above the national mean, driven by Sandia National Labs, Los Alamos, and Intel Rio Rancho competing for ~670 SOC-17-3024 workers statewide. BEA regional price parities put Albuquerque cost of living at roughly 92% of US average, so the real-wage premium is closer to 58%. The catch: clearance-eligibility (US citizenship, often Q-clearance) is required at the labs, and the local job pool outside the labs is thin.
Texas is the inverse case. Second-largest state by employment (1,800) but median wage of $64,270, about 13% below the national median. The TX mechatronics workforce is concentrated in lower-wage southeastern Texas plants (Toyota, Tesla Austin GA-cell side, refining); the high-wage Austin semiconductor cluster (Samsung, NXP, Tokyo Electron) doesn't yet dominate the SOC employment count.
By metro: top-paying metro areas in the US
Metro-level data narrows further than state averages. The top-paying mechatronics technician metro in the US is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont at $112,060 mean (BLS OEWS May 2025), driven by Tesla Fremont, Lam Research, Applied Materials, and the Bay Area biotech cluster.
| Rank | Metro | Mean wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $112,060 | 290 |
| 2 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $103,660 | 30 |
| 3 | Toledo, OH | $99,330 | 40 |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,940 | 500 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $96,460 | 360 |
| 6 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $90,130 | 80 |
| 7 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $88,340 | 50 |
| 8 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $86,580 | 80 |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $86,340 | 40 |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $86,160 | 540 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan area estimates (May 2025), MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx.
The largest metros by mechatronics employment are Boston-Cambridge-Newton (750), Detroit-Warren-Dearborn (610), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (540), Los Angeles (500), and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (360). Boston ($74,890 mean) is the under-priced large market, top-5 in employment but only 8% above the national mean, despite a much higher cost of living.
By industry: where the role pays the most
Industry assignment matters more than most candidates realize. Per BLS OEWS May 2025 industry-level estimates for SOC 17-3024:
| Industry | Mean wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | $111,920 | 120 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $108,380 | 60 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $100,980 | 100 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | $91,070 | 70 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $89,040 | 100 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $83,190 | 4,250 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $71,520 | 1,800 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $68,750 | 1,700 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $83,740 | 1,380 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $76,390 | 660 |
Top of table: top-paying industries. Bottom of table: largest-employing industries. Source: BLS OEWS industry-specific national estimates (May 2025).
The top-paying industries (utilities at $111,920 mean, petroleum/coal at $108,380, oil and gas extraction at $100,980) employ very few mechatronics technicians, combined under 300 nationally. They pay a premium because they need someone who can keep a refinery, pipeline, or power generation asset running safely, and that's a small-supply skill. Breaking into one usually requires either a referral from someone already there or coming up through a co-op or apprenticeship the company itself runs.
The largest employers (Professional Scientific Technical Services at 4,250, Machinery Manufacturing at 1,800, Computer/Electronic Product Manufacturing at 1,700) are where most postings live. Of those, Computer/Electronic Product Manufacturing has the most upside for a strong technician, semiconductor fabs (Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron, GlobalFoundries) inside this bucket consistently pay $80K-$110K once you clear 3 years and pick up cleanroom and tool-vendor certifications.
By employer: what specific companies pay
The BLS does not publish employer-specific wages, so this section pulls from company-disclosed compensation data (Tesla and Boeing publish enough to triangulate) and broader "Production / Manufacturing Technician" data at the rest of the major OEMs. Few OEMs disclose mechatronics-specific pay separately from production-technician pay, so most of the numbers below are for the broader technician title at the employer, not the mechatronics SOC specifically.
| Employer | Role basis | Reported avg | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Mechatronics-specific | ~$76,600 | Across Fremont, Gigafactory NV, Austin, Sparks. Adds ~12-18% in stock |
| Boeing | Mechatronics-specific | ~$72,080 | Defense and commercial production sites; union scale dominates |
| BMW Spartanburg | Production Tech (broad) | $50K-$58K base | Plus shift diff, OT, performance bonus. Below national median |
| Toyota Mississippi | Production Tech (broad) | $50K-$60K base | Mississippi cost-of-living index ~88 helps the real number |
| Intel | Mfg Tech / Equipment Tech | $70K-$95K base | Higher in AZ, OR; lower in cheaper-COL sites; includes stock |
| TSMC Arizona | Equipment Tech | $70K-$85K base | 12-hour rotating shifts; significant OT typical |
| Caterpillar | Production Tech (broad) | $55K-$70K base | Varies sharply by plant location |
| Siemens (field) | Field Service Tech | $75K-$95K base | Travel-heavy; per-diem & lodging usually employer-paid |
| Rockwell Automation (field) | Field Service Tech | $78K-$98K base | Same travel pattern; Allen-Bradley platform depth required |
Tesla and Boeing figures are mechatronics-titled averages from company-disclosed compensation data. All other rows are broader-technician averages assembled from published job postings, employer transparency disclosures, and union scale where applicable. Treat as a range, not an offer.
The pattern that matters: the same technician skill set pays roughly 45% more at Tesla Fremont than at BMW Spartanburg. Geography and employer compound on each other. The OEM-and-state combo (BMW + SC, Toyota + MS) is the lowest-paying common configuration; the West Coast + tech-adjacent OEM combo (Tesla + CA, Boeing + WA, Intel + OR/AZ) is the highest-paying common configuration.
By certification: what each credential is worth at posting time
Posted wage data from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and SkillsCommons shows real pay deltas for specific credential stacks. These are postings-medians, not BLS-authoritative, but they reflect what employers actually advertise:
- MSSC CPT alone: $48K-$56K base. Common entry posting language: "MSSC CPT preferred."
- MSSC CPT-MT (maintenance) + AAS: $55K-$68K base. Many regional plants use this combination as their explicit hiring rubric.
- Siemens SMSCP Level 1 + AAS: $58K-$72K base. Higher floor at Siemens-heavy plants.
- FANUC Robot Operator / Maintenance + 3 yrs experience: $65K-$82K base. Automotive welding-cell roles cluster here.
- Rockwell ControlLogix / Studio 5000 fluency (vendor cert or demonstrated): $68K-$92K base. The single highest-leverage cert for US discrete manufacturing.
- PLC Controls Technician title (combined PLC + robotics + HMI): $78,632 average per ZipRecruiter aggregated postings. This is the title that hits $90K+ posting medians most consistently.
See our full mechatronics certification guide for the credential-by-credential cost, length, and employer-recognition breakdown.
Year-over-year wage trend
BLS OEWS releases roll one year at a time. Here's how mechatronics technician pay has moved across the last three releases:
| Data period | Median annual | YoY change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | $66,490 | n/a | Baseline |
| May 2024 | $70,760 | +6.4% | Post-CHIPS-Act fab hiring surge starts |
| May 2025 | $73,900 | +4.4% | Continued growth, slightly slower than 2024 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2023, May 2024, and May 2025 national releases for SOC 17-3024.
For context: NAM's manufacturing wage index reported +4.5% growth across all production occupations in 2025 ($30.10/hr average, up from $28.81). Amtec's 2025 industrial-wage report flagged +7.9% for machinists. Mechatronics technician wage growth at +4.4% is right at the manufacturing-wide rate, above the all-industry US wage growth of roughly +3.5%.
How to push your mechatronics technician salary higher: three real levers
Lever 1: Exploit the high-wage / low-COL state anomaly
The single biggest in-career lever is geographic. The states with the highest real wages for SOC 17-3024 are not the obvious ones (CA, NY, MA). They're the supply-constrained anomalies: New Mexico ($110,820 mean, COL ~92% of US average), North Dakota ($92,220 mean, COL ~96%), and Alaska ($90,060 mean with no state income tax). New Mexico is the cleanest play: combine BLS median with BEA's regional price parity and the real wage is roughly 58% above the US average. The catch is supply, these states employ a few hundred SOC-17-3024 workers each, so postings are thin and clearance requirements are common at the lab employers.
Lever 2: Stack the PLC + robotics cert ladder
Posted-wage data is consistent: stacking a programmable-logic-controller credential with a robotics maintenance credential moves the median posted wage from ~$58K to ~$78K. The "PLC Controls Technician" title averages $78,632 per ZipRecruiter, a 25% premium over the bare "Mechatronics Technician" posting. The credential stack that moves the needle:
- Rockwell ControlLogix / Studio 5000 demonstrated proficiency (vendor-attended training or Rockwell Certified Professional)
- One robot family at maintenance level (FANUC Robot Maintenance Level 1, ABB Robot Service, KUKA Maintenance)
- HMI / SCADA exposure (FactoryTalk View or Ignition)
Most working technicians can earn these inside 18 months while employed. Employers often pay for them when you frame it as moving toward a controls-specialist or lead role.
Lever 3: Target the OEM-and-geography premium
Same skill set, same job title, Tesla Fremont averages ~$76,600 while BMW Spartanburg pays $50K-$58K base for the comparable production-technician role. The premium comes from two stacking effects: (1) tech-adjacent OEMs (Tesla, Boeing, Lockheed, Intel) pay above their state median because they compete with non-manufacturing employers in the local market for the same skilled-tech labor, and (2) high-wage states amplify that premium further. The clean play once you have 3-5 years of experience is to move into a Tesla / Boeing / Intel / TSMC / Lam Research role in CA, WA, AZ, or OR. The total-comp delta vs a southeastern OEM plant is typically $20K-$30K base plus equity at the tech-adjacent employers.
Mechatronics technician salary vs adjacent roles
Useful for orienting your next career move:
| Role | SOC | BLS median | Education to get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechatronics Technician (you) | 17-3024 | $73,900 | AAS or industry certs |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | 49-9041 | $63,510 | Apprenticeship or AAS |
| PLC / Controls Technician | 17-3024 | ~$78,632 posting avg | AAS + ControlLogix + 3 yrs |
| Mechanical Engineering Tech | 17-3027 | $68,730 | AAS in MET |
| Mechanical Engineer | 17-2141 | $104,110 | ABET-EAC BS + FE |
| Robotics Engineer | 17-2199 | $117,750 | ABET BS + 2 yrs robotics |
| Electrical Engineer | 17-2071 | $120,630 | ABET-EAC BS + FE |
All BLS medians from OEWS May 2025. PLC Controls Technician figure is a posting-median (ZipRecruiter aggregated), not a BLS SOC.
Two clean step-ups: (1) specialize into a PLC controls technician title for a ~$5K-$10K bump without changing employer or completing further degrees, or (2) commit to an ABET-accredited engineering BS for a $30K+ jump into an engineering-tier role. See our controls engineer career guide for the bridge.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average mechatronics technician salary in 2026?
Why does Salary.com show a lower average ($58K) than the BLS ($73,900)?
Which state pays mechatronics technicians the most?
Do mechatronics technicians earn more than industrial maintenance technicians?
What's the highest-paying industry for a mechatronics technician?
How much can I earn at Tesla or Boeing as a mechatronics technician?
Are mechatronics technician wages growing?
Sources & methodology
All wage and employment data on this page is sourced from primary US government publications and disclosed company compensation data, retrieved 2026-05-28:
- BLS OEWS, 17-3024 Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians, May 2025 national release.
- BLS OEWS state-level estimates (oesm25st.zip), used for all state tables.
- BLS OEWS metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma.zip), used for metro tables.
- BLS OEWS industry-level estimates (oesm25in4.zip), used for industry tables.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, for 2024-2034 employment projections.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, used for cost-of-living context in state and metro discussion.
- Salary.com, Mechatronics Technician, used for experience-tiered self-reported benchmarks.
- ZipRecruiter, PLC Controls Technician, used for posted-wage credential-stack data.
- National Association of Manufacturers, for 2025 manufacturing-wide wage growth (+4.5%).
Tesla and Boeing employer figures are mechatronics-titled averages compiled from publicly disclosed compensation data. All other employer figures cover the broader production-technician title at the named employer, not the BLS mechatronics SOC specifically; they are presented as posting-derived ranges rather than authoritative averages.