How much does a mechatronics technician make in Idaho?
The spread here is tighter than the national one. From the 10th to the 90th percentile, Idaho runs $44,460 to $83,580, a narrower band than the US figures. That usually means the market is dominated by a few large employers paying on structured wage scales rather than a scattered mix of shops bidding against each other. The middle 50% sits between $60,220 and $75,300, so once you are past your first year or two, most Idaho technicians cluster in the $60K to $75K zone.
The location quotient of 1.35 is the number to remember. Idaho only employs about 120 electro-mechanical and mechatronics technicians, but that headcount is heavier per capita than the average state. That concentration is driven by semiconductor manufacturing and large-scale food processing, both of which run automated lines that need maintenance and controls people around the clock.
Cracking the top decile ($83,580 and up) generally takes controls-heavy work: PLC programming, robotics, and vision or material-handling systems at the big fabs and plants, plus shift differentials and on-call pay. That is engineer-adjacent territory, and it is where the certification stack below starts to pay for itself.
Bar = middle 50% of wages (25th to 75th percentile). Line = 10th to 90th percentile span. Tick = median.
| Percentile | Idaho annual | Idaho hourly | US annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,460 | $21.38/hr | $47,840 |
| 25th | $60,220 | $28.95/hr | $59,780 |
| 50th (median) | $70,830 | $34.05/hr | $73,900 |
| 75th | $75,300 | $36.20/hr | $88,540 |
| 90th | $83,580 | $40.18/hr | $109,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates for SOC 17-3024 in Idaho.
Idaho mechatronics salary: BLS vs Salary.com vs Indeed
The three sources disagree by a wide margin for Idaho, and it is worth knowing why. BLS ($70,830) is an employer survey: real payroll reported by real establishments, coded specifically to mechatronics and electro-mechanical technicians. Salary.com ($54,806) is a modelled HR estimate that leans toward broader, lower-paid maintenance titles. Indeed ($26.04/hour, about $54,163 a year) is an average of job postings, and its Idaho figure rests on just 16 reported salaries, which is a thin sample that can swing with a handful of low-wage listings.
When the postings-based and modelled numbers both land near $54K but the employer survey says $70,830, the gap is usually job-title drift: the cheaper sources are catching general maintenance and entry roles, not true mechatronics work. When you negotiate, anchor to the BLS median of $70,830 and the $60,220 to $75,300 middle band. That is the figure backed by actual Idaho payroll.
employer-reported survey
same survey, average
as of July 01, 2026
16 salaries reported · hourly ×2,080
Dashed line = US median $73,900.
Job outlook for mechatronics technicians in Idaho
2024 jobs
130
2034 projected
150
Growth
+12.7%
US: +0.7%
Openings / yr
10
Incl. replacement needs
Idaho's outlook is one of the strongest arguments for the state. The labor department projects mechatronics and electro-mechanical technician jobs to grow 12.7% between 2024 and 2034, from about 130 to 150 positions. Compare that with the national projection of 0.7% over the same span, essentially flat. Idaho is expanding this occupation while most of the country holds steady.
The state expects about 10 openings a year on average. On a base this small that number is mostly replacement demand (people retiring or moving to other roles) plus the handful of genuinely new jobs from the projected growth. So even in a slow year there is regular turnover to step into. You can check the underlying numbers at the Idaho Department of Labor projections tool.
How Idaho compares with nearby states
Inside the West, Idaho sits toward the lower-middle on pay. Its $70,830 median trails neighbors like Washington ($81,220) and Nevada ($82,010) by roughly $10,000, and lands just under Colorado ($74,730) and Montana ($77,340), while edging out Oregon ($67,140). So Idaho is not the top-paying western state, but its unusually high job concentration and 12.7% growth outlook make it a stronger bet than the raw median alone suggests.
670 employed
220 employed
1,850 employed
570 employed
120 employed
40 employed
70 employed
570 employed
120 employed
160 employed
Dashed line = US median $73,900.
Who hires mechatronics technicians in Idaho
The anchor is Micron Technology in Boise, whose Fab 1 site runs equipment maintenance and automated material-handling roles that specifically list mechatronics, electronics, or robotics backgrounds. Micron also runs a Department of Labor registered technician apprenticeship on an earn-and-learn model, tied to an Associate of Applied Science in Advanced Mechatronics Technology (AMET) through the College of Western Idaho, so it is a genuine on-ramp, not just a job board.
Food processing is the other big employer of automation talent. Chobani's Twin Falls plant hires Automation Technicians to troubleshoot controls and support automation engineers, and Lamb Weston staffs maintenance roles working on motors, variable frequency drives, and control panels across its Idaho operations. Between semiconductors and food, that is where most of the state's mechatronics headcount actually sits.
How to earn more as a mechatronics technician in Idaho
Build the controls certification stack
The gap between Idaho's median ($70,830) and its top decile ($83,580) is mostly controls skill: PLC programming, robotics, and instrumentation. Stack recognized credentials in those areas and you move from generalist maintenance into the automation roles Micron and Chobani pay a premium for. See our mechatronics certifications guide for which ones carry weight with these employers.
Cross into a higher-paying neighbor
Idaho pays about $10,000 under Washington ($81,220) and Nevada ($82,010) at the median. If you are near the borders or open to relocating, the same skill set is worth noticeably more one state over. Colorado ($74,730) and Montana ($77,340) also outpay Idaho. Weigh that against cost of living, but the wage delta for identical work is real.
Step up to the engineer track
The biggest single jump is moving off the technician ladder toward controls engineering, where the whole pay band shifts up. With a fab like Micron in-state running apprenticeship-to-degree pathways, Idaho is a good place to make that transition. Start with our controls engineer career guide and the full mechatronics salary guide to map the steps.
Idaho mechatronics technician salary widget (2026)
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Idaho mechatronics technician salary FAQ
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Sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from four independent datasets, retrieved 2026-07-14. Where they disagree, the disagreement is shown rather than averaged away; the source-comparison section explains why each number differs.
- BLS OEWS, SOC 17-3024, May 2025 national and state estimates (state file oesm25st.zip). Employer-reported, the authoritative baseline.
- Salary.com, Mechatronics Technician in Idaho, as of July 01, 2026. HR-reported and modelled averages.
- Indeed, mechatronics technician salaries in Idaho, based on 16 reported salaries. Posting-derived.
- Projections Central, 2024–2034 state occupational projections produced by Idaho's labor market agency (state source).
- Micron careers, Idaho
- Chobani Automation Technician, Twin Falls
- Lamb Weston jobs in Idaho