Median annual wages by state — BLS OEWS, May 2025 (published for 40 of 51 states)
Automation and robotics technicians install, program, and maintain the robotic cells, PLCs, and control systems running modern factories. As manufacturing reshores and automates, plants compete hard for people who can keep robots running — a blend of electrical, mechanical, and programming skills usually built in a 2-year mechatronics program.
Community college mechatronics: electricity, mechanics, PLCs, robotics labs. Co-ops with local plants are gold.
Plant floor troubleshooting alongside senior techs. Learning the lines and the logic.
Independent PLC and robot troubleshooting. OEM certifications accumulate; downtime response is your reputation.
Programming changes, new cell integration, and controls projects — engineering-level pay on a technician's path.
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