Mechatronics technician salary in Rhode Island (2026)

How much does a mechatronics technician make in Rhode Island?

Because there's no BLS state estimate, the percentile chart here leans on Salary.com's Rhode Island model. It puts the middle 50% of technicians between about $53,508 and $69,062, with the average at $60,871. That's a fairly tight band, which is what you'd expect in a small state with a handful of large employers rather than a broad open market.

The bottom 10% sits near $46,804, which is roughly where a new tech with an associate degree and no plant experience starts. The top 10% reaches about $76,518. To push past that ceiling inside Rhode Island you usually need a specialized skill set (PLC programming, robotics, controls) or a title change into a lead or engineering role, since the technician band itself flattens out around the high $70,000s here.

Keep the national picture in view too. BLS shows the top decile for this occupation clearing $109,890 nationally, so the Rhode Island top end reflects the local employer mix more than any hard limit on what the skill is worth.

Rhode Island mechatronics salary: BLS vs Salary.com vs Indeed

The three sources measure different things. BLS surveys actual employers but never got a big enough Rhode Island sample to publish, so it only gives you the $73,900 national median. Salary.com models HR pay data down to the state and lands at $60,871, which reads low and probably reflects a heavier weighting toward general maintenance and electronics roles than the specialized mechatronics jobs. Indeed averages what employers advertise, which skews higher at about $69,368 because postings compete for scarce candidates.

One flag: Indeed doesn't disclose how many Rhode Island salaries sit behind its $33.35 hourly figure, so treat it as a directional read, not gospel. When you negotiate, anchor to the Indeed-implied $69,368 and the national $73,900 rather than Salary.com's $60,871. Employers hiring for controls and automation work in this state are paying toward the top of that spread, not the bottom.

How Rhode Island compares with nearby states

Rhode Island sits in the Northeast, and it's boxed in by two states that pay noticeably more. Connecticut posts a median of $81,860 for this occupation and Massachusetts comes in at $73,630, both within an easy drive of most of Rhode Island. Maine tops the region at $82,510. That geography matters: a technician in Providence or Woonsocket is often a 40-minute commute from a Massachusetts or Connecticut plant paying $10,000 to $20,000 more.

Who hires mechatronics technicians in Rhode Island

The biggest draw is General Dynamics Electric Boat at Quonset Point in North Kingstown, the state's largest industrial employer, which has been on a multi-year hiring surge for maintenance and manufacturing technicians who keep submarine-fabrication equipment running. Advertised maintenance-tech starting pay there sits around $25 to $35 an hour, with skilled and senior roles going well above that.

Biopharma and materials manufacturing add more demand. Amgen runs a large biologics plant in West Greenwich where automation and equipment technicians support highly instrumented production lines, and Toray Plastics (America) in North Kingstown employs hundreds making polyester and polypropylene film on continuous processing lines. All three lean on techs who can troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, and controls systems together, which is exactly the mechatronics skill set.

How to earn more as a mechatronics technician in Rhode Island

Stack the controls certifications

Rhode Island's better-paying openings, at Electric Boat, Amgen, and Toray, all want techs who can handle PLCs, robotics, and instrumentation, not just mechanical repair. A focused certification stack in PLC programming and industrial controls is the cleanest way to move from the Salary.com band into the Indeed-level pay that automation-heavy employers here advertise.

Cross the border into Connecticut or Massachusetts

Geography is a raise in disguise. Connecticut pays a median of $81,860 and Massachusetts $73,630 for this occupation, both a short commute from most of Rhode Island. If you're near the state line in Woonsocket, Pawtucket, or Westerly, a plant one town over can add $10,000 or more a year for the same work.

Step up to the controls-engineer track

The technician band in Rhode Island flattens out around $76,518 at the top decile, so the real jump comes from a title change. Moving into a controls engineer role clears that ceiling, and the mechatronics salary guide lays out which skills and credentials get you there.

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 Rhode Island, as of July 1, 2026. HR-reported and modelled averages.
• Indeed, mechatronics technician salaries in Rhode Island. Posting-derived.
• Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Rhode Island (IndustrySelect)
• Electric Boat manufacturing jobs at Quonset Point
• Rhode Island jobs at Amgen