Introduction
A multidisciplinary field, mechatronics combines aspects of eletronics, mechanical engineering primarily, as well as computer engineering, systems engineering and control engineering secondarily. It is a fast evolving field, with all its structural components heavily influenced by technological advances.
Mechanotrics is considered as one of the most interesting fields of engineering. It is, however, one of the most demanding as well. A mechatronics engineer has to have a wealth of knowledge and a sound understanding of the principles underlying the sub components of their area of expertise. The engineer is required to combine and connect these components together, in order to produce simpler, more economical and more reliable solutions.
Often times, the harder and more complex a job is, the higher the salary those who practice it earn. Does this hold true, in mechatronics? What is the average mechatronics salary in 2017? Which industries pay most? We will explore all that and more in this article. But first, let’s answer this fundamental question.
What Does a Mechatronics Engineer Do Exactly?
Quite a number of fascinating things, actually. Chief among a mechatronics engineer’s duties are the following:
- Development of new solutions to a given industry’s problems, using a combination of mechanical, electronic and computer processes and technology.
- Design and creation of completely new products, born of combining different disciplines – for example, robotic vehicles for underwater exploration.
- Maintain and improve past industry standard designs and processes.
- Create, improve, maintain and handle systems for automating tasks – for example, to transfer materials or goods.
- Study the viability, performance as well as cost implication of new mechatronic equipment.
- Perform complex analysis of mechanical, electronic and other engineering systems via computers.
As is clearly evident, a mechatronics engineer has a colorful, varied set of responsibilities. Let us take a look at how all this hard work is compensated.
TotalJobs & Recruiter: Mechatronics Salary in 2017
A professional’s salary is influenced by a wide range of factors, such as their experience level, their location, the industry they are working in, as well as their employee. According to TotalJobs.com the average annual salary of mechatronics related jobs is about £52,500. a 31% increase since their last calculation. The same source claims that the highest paying industry for mechatronics is engineering, manufacturing and utilities.
Recruiter.com, focused on the USA, paints a different picture. According to the reputable website, a mechatronics engineer will earn, on average, an annual salary somewhere between $64.000 and $96.000. The highest paid mechatronics engineers are found in the district of Columbia. Their payment approximates $116.420.
According to the same source, mechatronics engineers are best compensated when they work in the Federal Government, followed closely by those working in the Private Sector. Right behind them, come the mechatronics engineers who work for the Local Government, and last, come those who work for the State Government.
A mechatronics engineer’s hourly rate caps out at around $70. Generally speaking, a mechatronics career has a rising annual salary trend. Since 2004, mechatronics salaries have increased on average by 17.55 % nationwide. The top three paying industries in mechatronics, according to Recruiter, are Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, followed by Public Administration and finally, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation. The bottom three industires are Construction, Retail Trade and Finance and Insurance.
Indeed & OwlGuru : Mechatronics Salary in 2017
According to Indeed.com, as of October 21, 2017, after a sample of more than 560.000 employees, users and job advertisement on their platform, the average salary for jobs related to mechatronics comes up as follows: At the lower end, an Engineering Intern earns roughly $40.000 annually, whereas an Integration Engineer earns up to more than $100.000. Notably, these are only approximations based on third party submissions.
Finally, OwlGuru.com claims the grand median wage of all mechatronics professionals is $97.300 annually, or, in other words, $47 per hour. The crème de la crème, top 10% earn around $74 hourly, and more than $150.000 annually. The bottom 10%, those who have practically no experience, earn around $25 per hour, or bit more than $50.000 per year.
According to OwlGuru’s salary ranking system, a system that ranges from A to D, depending on how high or low an average annual salary is, mechatronics professionals get a salary rank of A.
The three highest paying industry’s, as per OwlGuru’s claims are Specialized Design Services, Oil and Gas Extraction and Research & Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The three lowest paying are Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing, Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing and Residential Building Construction.
Results
If we combine our findings from these aforementioned sources, we come up with the following, simple results:
- Mechatronics salaries, generally, have a rising trend as of the time of this article. This rising trend started years ago.
- There is a big difference in salaries in the profession itself, with the elite of mechatronics earning as much as three times as much as those at the bottom.
- There is a need for the profession in an extremely varied range of industries. Likewise, mechatronics professionals are sough both in the public and private sector.
- Compared to other careers, mechatronics is indeed very well compensated and proves to be an excellent choice for a person oriented towards financial security.
In Conclusion
It is not easy to enter the mechatronics engineering profession. And it is even harder to reach the highest levels of success within the field. The job is demanding, and the competition is high. A mechatronics professional is required to have a thorough understanding of many different sciences and to be fully capable of integrating them together.
However, as is clear by this piece, the rewards are well worth it. If you are interested in starting a mechatronics career, it is an excellent choice financially. And chances are, judging by its rising trend, as years pass, a mechatronics oriented career will only grow better.
