Careers in Mechatronics

Did you know that automated manufacturing is one of the fasting growing industries in the Southeast? 

This means Alabama manufacturers are seeking workers with the skills required to maintain and troubleshoot their increasingly complex production lines. The need for technicians with the knowledge to install and service equipment for automated processes is ever-growing! 

Electrical, mechanical, sensors, robotics, programming…under traditional training methods, students would learn about each of these fields separately, resulting in students misunderstanding the relationships between the different technical subsystems. 

Mechatronics, however, teaches the student to look at the entire system and understand it as a whole. Students learn about the overall function of the system, and then learn about the subsystems. Finally, they learn about the components in each subsystem and how they work together. This means that from the very beginning, students are looking at the big picture, understanding the entire process from beginning to end. This type of training and education provided in Mechatronics courses serves to make workers more attractive to today’s manufacturers.  

Automobile manufacturers, in particular, have a variety of robots operating on their manufacturing lines, and companies are seeking workers with the skills and hands-on experience required to configure, program, utilize and maintain them in accordance with industry standards. 

Lawson State Mechatronics 

With so many automobile manufacturers in the Southeast looking for workers with the skills to operate and maintain hundreds of robots on their manufacturing lines, it’s important to seek out an education that provides this System Approach learning. Mechatronics students receive that hands-on experience with ABB, FANUC, KUKA, Mitsubishi or Motoman robots when they choose to specialize in Robotics as part of the Manufacturing degree.  

Students who complete the Mechatronics short certificate will also be eligible to take the Siemens Mechatronics System Certification Program. Siemens is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of mechatronic and automated systems and has over twenty years of experience in Mechatronics education and over 100 years in technical education.  

Glossary 

Mechatronics Technician: Repairs, tests, adjusts and install automated mechanical systems 

Robotics Technician: Builds, maintains, repairs and tests robotic and robotics-related automated production systems 

• The average growth rate for Mechanical Engineering Technicians is 5% from 2012 to 2022. 
• The median annual wage for a Robotic Technician in Alabama is $49,799 per year. 
• The median annual wage for a Mechatronic Technician in Alabama is $55,191. 
• Mechatronics technicians are needed in a variety of industries, from automotive manufacturing to aerospace. 
• The US Department of Labor lists mechatronics as an emerging “green jobs” growth area.