Architecture and Engineering · Holland code RIC
Mechatronics Engineers
Research, design, develop, or test automation, intelligent systems, smart devices, or industrial systems control.
Also called: Automation Engineer, Equipment Engineer, Process Controls Engineer, Project Engineer, Automation Designer, Control Systems Engineer, Controls Engineering Specialist, Design Engineer (Design Eng).
O*NET 17-2199.05
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $122,930
- Middle half earn $90,970 to $158,090. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree
- 66% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Create mechanical design documents for parts, assemblies, or finished products.
- Design advanced precision equipment for accurate or controlled applications.
- Design engineering systems for the automation of industrial tasks.
- Implement or test design solutions.
- Maintain technical project files.
- Identify materials appropriate for mechatronic system designs.
- Research, select, or apply sensors, communication technologies, or control devices for motion control, position sensing, pressure sensing, or electronic communication.
- Apply mechatronic or automated solutions to the transfer of materials, components, or finished goods.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.8 / 5
- Writing3.8 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.8 / 5
- Active Listening3.6 / 5
- Speaking3.5 / 5
- Mathematics3.4 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology4.7 / 5
- Design4.3 / 5
- Production and Processing4.2 / 5
- Mechanical4.1 / 5
- Mathematics3.9 / 5
- Physics3.3 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic78
- Investigative76
- Artistic24
- Social10
- Enterprising12
- Conventional64
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- automation engineer · DE Automatisierungsingenieur/Automatisierungsingenieurin · FR ingénieur en automatismes/ingénieure en automatismes
- mechatronics engineer · DE Ingenieur Mechatronik/Ingenieurin Mechatronik · FR ingénieur mécatronicien/ingénieure mécatronicienne
- robotics engineer · DE Ingenieur Robotik und Autonome Systeme/Ingenieurin Robotik und Autonome Systeme · FR ingénieur en robotique/ingénieure en robotique
- electromechanical engineer · DE Ingenieur Elektromechanik/Ingenieurin Elektromechanik · FR ingénieur électromécanicien/ingénieure électromécanicienne
- microsystem engineer · DE Ingenieur Mikrosystemtechnik/Ingenieurin Mikrosystemtechnik · FR ingénieur microsystèmes/ingénieure microsystèmes
- instrumentation engineer · DE Ingenieur Messtechnik/Ingenieurin Messtechnik · FR ingénieur instrumentation/ingénieure instrumentation
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Aerospace engineers (2126)41,700 employed
- Quantity surveyors (2453)45,300 employed
- Electrical engineers (2123)59,700 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €61,714 |
| Germany | €59,529 |
| Ireland | €56,877 |
| Austria | €55,374 |
| Netherlands | €53,595 |
| Sweden | €43,567 |
| France | €41,515 |
| Spain | €35,735 |
| Italy | €33,649 |
| Portugal | €26,072 |
| Poland | €14,380 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.79. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (17-2199).
Related careers
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