What Is the National Mechatronics Technician Salary by Percentile?
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey covers roughly 1.2 million establishments, and sampled employers are required to respond. The May 2025 release was published 2026-04-30. The table shows the national wage 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.
Mechatronics Technician Salary by Experience Level
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.
Why the BLS and Salary.com figures differ: Salary.com's "late career" figure ($63K) is below the BLS national median ($73,900). Salary.com uses self-reported job-title data, while the BLS uses a broad employer survey for the full occupation. Use the BLS distribution to benchmark an offer and the Salary.com tiers only as a directional view of how its respondents' pay changes with experience.
Mechatronics Technician Salary by State
State wage and employment rankings answer different questions. The highest mean wages appear in high-cost markets such as California, Washington, and Maryland and in lower-supply markets such as New Mexico. California, Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, and North Carolina have larger employment totals and therefore broader job markets.
Highest-Paying States for Mechatronics Technicians
| 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 |
States Employing the Most Mechatronics Technicians
| 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.
Mechatronics Technician Salary Reports by State
Every state gets its own full report: BLS percentiles charted against the national distribution, Salary.com and Indeed figures compared side by side, state job projections, metro breakdowns, and an embeddable salary widget.
Texas is the inverse case. Second-largest state by employment (1,800) but a median wage of $54,460, about 26% below the national median. Its $64,270 mean is pulled up by a smaller group of high earners. 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.
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Mechatronics Technicians
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 about 2% below the national mean, despite a much higher cost of living.
Mechatronics Technician Salary by Industry
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.
Mechatronics Technician Salary by Employer
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.
In these reported figures, the comparable technician skill set pays roughly 45% more at Tesla Fremont than at BMW Spartanburg. Geography and employer both affect the comparison. BMW in South Carolina and Toyota in Mississippi represent the lower end of these employer ranges, while Tesla in California, Boeing in Washington, and Intel in Oregon or Arizona represent the higher end.
How Certifications Affect Mechatronics Technician Salary
Posted-wage data from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and SkillsCommons shows different advertised ranges for specific credential combinations. These are posting-derived figures rather than BLS occupational estimates:
- 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.
Mechatronics Technician Salary Trends by Year
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 Increase Your Mechatronics Technician Salary
Which States Combine Higher Mechatronics Technician Pay With Lower Living Costs?
Geography produces the largest difference in this comparison. New Mexico ($110,820 mean, COL ~92% of the US average), North Dakota ($92,220 mean, COL ~96%), and Alaska ($90,060 mean with no state income tax) combine above-average wages with lower or offset living costs. New Mexico's BLS mean and BEA regional price parity imply a real wage roughly 58% above the US average. Job supply is limited, however: these states employ only a few hundred SOC 17-3024 workers each, and laboratory employers may require security clearances.
Which PLC and Robotics Certifications Can Increase Technician Pay?
Posted-wage data associates a programmable-logic-controller credential plus a robotics maintenance credential with an increase from roughly $58K to $78K. The "PLC Controls Technician" title averages $78,632 per ZipRecruiter, about 25% above the "Mechatronics Technician" posting average. Common qualifications include:
- 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.
Which Employers Pay Mechatronics Technicians More?
Tesla Fremont averages roughly $76,600, while BMW Spartanburg reports $50K-$58K base for a comparable production-technician role. Tech-adjacent manufacturers such as Tesla, Boeing, Lockheed, and Intel compete with other local employers for skilled technicians, and a higher-paying state can widen that difference. Technicians with three to five years of experience can compare roles at Tesla, Boeing, Intel, TSMC, and Lam Research in California, Washington, Arizona, and Oregon. In the ranges collected here, reported base pay can differ from southeastern OEM plants by $20K-$30K, with equity available at some employers.
How Does a Mechatronics Technician Salary Compare With Related Careers?
These national figures compare technician, controls, and engineering paths:
| 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 common advancement paths are specializing in PLC controls, which can add roughly $5K-$10K in the posting data, or completing an ABET-accredited engineering bachelor’s for access to engineering roles with higher national medians. See our controls engineer career guide for the education and experience requirements.
Mechatronics Technician Salary FAQ
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?
Mechatronics Technician Salary Data Sources and Methodology
All wage and employment data on this page is sourced from primary US government publications and disclosed company compensation data, retrieved 2026-07-14:
- 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.