How much does a mechatronics technician make in South Carolina?
The spread here is wide, which is normal for a job that covers both entry maintenance work and senior controls troubleshooting. The bottom 10% sit near $46,430 and the top 10% reach $101,540, so where you land depends heavily on your PLC and robotics skills and the plant you work in. That top decile is real money, and it usually goes to techs who can debug automated lines and variable frequency drives without calling a vendor.
The middle 50% of South Carolina technicians earn between $51,720 and $78,640. If you are quoting a fair market number to a recruiter, the $67,610 median is your anchor, and anything in the high $70,000s means you have moved into the experienced tier. The state mean of $70,430 sits above the median, which tells you a cluster of higher-paid senior roles is pulling the average up.
The 1.16 location quotient matters more than the modest pay. South Carolina employs about 270 of these technicians, and it concentrates them at a rate 16% above the national average. That density comes from the auto assembly and supplier base, and it means steady demand even if the sticker wage trails the coasts.
Bar = middle 50% of wages (25th to 75th percentile). Line = 10th to 90th percentile span. Tick = median.
| Percentile | South Carolina annual | South Carolina hourly | US annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $46,430 | $22.32/hr | $47,840 |
| 25th | $51,720 | $24.86/hr | $59,780 |
| 50th (median) | $67,610 | $32.50/hr | $73,900 |
| 75th | $78,640 | $37.81/hr | $88,540 |
| 90th | $101,540 | $48.82/hr | $109,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates for SOC 17-3024 in South Carolina.
South Carolina mechatronics salary: BLS vs Salary.com vs Indeed
Three sources, three different numbers. BLS puts the median at $67,610 from its May 2025 employer survey. Salary.com models a much lower $55,012 average from HR compensation data, and Indeed reports $77,140. The gap is large because each measures something different: BLS asks employers what they actually pay, Salary.com models job-title benchmarks, and Indeed averages what job postings advertise.
Be careful with the Indeed figure. It rests on just 2 reported salaries, both from Summerville, so it is not a stable read on the whole state. Salary.com looks too low for the plant work that dominates here. When you negotiate, use the BLS median of $67,610 as your floor and push toward the $78,640 upper-quartile mark if you bring controls or robotics experience.
employer-reported survey
same survey, average
as of July 1, 2026
2 salaries reported
Dashed line = US median $73,900.
Mechatronics technician pay by metro area in South Carolina
Indeed's only city-level data point is Summerville, just outside Charleston, at $77,140. That number tracks with the Bosch operations in that corridor, but it rests on a tiny sample, so treat it as a signal rather than a promise. BLS does not break out metro estimates for this small occupation in South Carolina, so the statewide $67,610 median is the more reliable planning number.
Dashed line = US median $73,900.
Job outlook for mechatronics technicians in South Carolina
2024 jobs
270
2034 projected
300
Growth
+10.6%
US: +0.7%
Openings / yr
30
Incl. replacement needs
South Carolina projects mechatronics technician employment to grow from 270 jobs in 2024 to 300 by 2034, a 10.6% increase. That crushes the 0.7% national projection and reflects how much the state's manufacturing base is automating. It is a small occupation, so 30 net jobs is a big percentage move, but the direction is clearly up.
The projection also lists about 30 openings a year. Most of those are not brand new jobs. They come from turnover and retirements as older maintenance techs leave the workforce, which is exactly where a trained mechatronics graduate steps in. You can track current postings through SC Works.
How South Carolina compares with nearby states
Inside the South, South Carolina sits in the middle of the pack at $67,610. It sits just behind neighbor Georgia ($68,720) but clearly beats North Carolina, where the median is only $63,330 despite 800 technicians working there. It trails the regional leaders, though: Florida pays a $75,450 median and Virginia $74,880, so a move up or down the coast can change your ceiling.
500 employed
120 employed
90 employed
570 employed
70 employed
170 employed
270 employed
70 employed
70 employed
140 employed
190 employed
800 employed
1,800 employed
Dashed line = US median $73,900.
Who hires mechatronics technicians in South Carolina
The Upstate is anchored by BMW's plant in Spartanburg, which hires Maintenance and Automation Technicians to keep its robotics, PLC controls, and automated lines running. The job typically wants an associate degree in a technical field plus a couple of years of automation experience, and it is one of the most direct landing spots for a mechatronics graduate in the state.
Down in the Lowcountry, Bosch runs manufacturing operations around Charleston and Summerville and posts Mechatronics Maintenance Technician roles with pay starting around $32.20 an hour. Between the Upstate auto cluster and the Charleston supplier base, the two ends of the state give this small occupation its above-average concentration.
How to earn more as a mechatronics technician in South Carolina
Stack the controls certifications the plants ask for
The BMW and Bosch postings specifically want PLC controls, robotics, and variable frequency drive experience. Techs who can prove those skills land in the upper quartile above $78,640 instead of the $51,720 starting tier. A focused certification stack in PLCs and industrial robotics is the fastest way to move up the pay band without changing employers.
Cross into Florida or Virginia
South Carolina's $67,610 median trails two nearby coastal states. Florida pays a $75,450 median and Virginia $74,880, both meaningfully higher for the same job title. If you are mobile, a move down to a Florida aerospace or food-processing plant or up to a Virginia defense site can add several thousand dollars without adding a single credential.
Step up to the engineer track
The technician ceiling in South Carolina is around $101,540 at the top decile. The controls engineer track sits above that. If you have the aptitude for design and systems work rather than just maintenance, moving toward a controls engineer role is the clearest path past six figures. Our salary guide lays out how the two tracks diverge.
South Carolina mechatronics technician salary widget (2026)
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South Carolina 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 South Carolina, as of July 1, 2026. HR-reported and modelled averages.
- Indeed, mechatronics technician salaries in South Carolina, based on 2 reported salaries. Posting-derived.
- Projections Central, 2024–2034 state occupational projections produced by South Carolina's labor market agency (state source).
- BMW Group Careers, Spartanburg Maintenance and Automation Technician
- Bosch USA job offers