Is Mechatronics a Good Career?

Yes, a career in mechatronics is worthwhile. Mechatronics engineers will always be in demand as long as things are automated and industries need to create more effective solutions. In this article, we'll examine if a career in mechatronics is worth it. To help you understand this, we'll also go through the distinctions between a mechatronics certificate and a mechatronics degree and the difference between degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and mechatronics.

Key Takeaways

Yes, a career in mechatronics is worthwhile. Mechatronics engineers will always be in demand as long as things are automated and industries need to create more effective solutions. In this article, we'll examine if a career in mechatronics is worth it. To help you understand this, we'll also go through the distinctions between a mechatronics certificate and a mechatronics degree and the difference between degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and mechatronics.

The word "Mechatronics" is a mix of Mechanical and Electronics, as it involves an understanding of both fields. Mechanical engineering, electronics, robotics, and computer systems are all used in the interdisciplinary field of mechatronics to build production tools and procedures.

Mechatronics is a key component of every major industry, including telecommunications, agriculture, transportation, biotechnology, automotive, national security, and renewable energy. With several opportunities for employment across industries, a mechatronics degree is unquestionably rewarding.

Although it was first introduced in the 1960s, the field has grown increasingly well-known in the past 20 years as robotics applications have spread throughout a wider number of industries. The growth of the field has also been aided by other technological advancements including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

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This degree has a similar earning potential to that of mechanical engineering and electronics, with a median yearly salary of over $100,000. But more on that later as we discuss it in detail.

We will examine the opportunity cost with comparable engineering degrees to see whether mechatronics is genuinely worth your time and financial investment. By the way, if you are interested in entering this profession today, consider enrolling in a free trial.

Do you want to get started in the mechatronics industry?

Unmudl offers the best course so that you may start earning money right away with simply a brief, quick course.

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Is a Career in Mechatronics Worth It?

Yes, to answer simply. How did we arrive at that judgment? Our team of specialists concentrated mainly on degrees in engineering with a similar scope and considered the earning potential and opportunity cost from numerous perspectives.

You will notice that we also listed mechatronics technician (a certificate-based career path). If you're the kind of person who needs to start earning money right away and then create a profession while working toward further education, this is excellent for you. It also works for you if you just don't want to devote two to four years of your life to earn a degree.

1. Necessary education

We first considered the amount of time spent on education for each career path.

Table of the amount of time spent on education for each career path

Mechatronics provides you with a profession very early on in your studies, and it is the one thing that immediately leaps out. For instance, merely a high school graduation, some college, and a brief certificate course were all that were required for 32% of present and past employees who wanted to become Mechatronics Technicians to begin their careers. 

On the other hand, 21% of Mechatronics Engineers were able to begin their careers with a comparable amount of schooling early on, which is still a fairly high rate for an engineering position.

In contrast, only 3%, 5%, and 0% of Electrical, Mechanical, or Electronics Engineers, respectively, were able to enter their respective industries without any formal qualifications. You must complete a lot of education before you can enter the job market with these degrees. 

Moreover, considering the question again of whether Mechatronics is a good career?  We would conclude that a career in mechatronics engineering is definitely worth it for the simple reason that it gives so much earning potential so early on. However, we feel the picture is incomplete without taking a closer look at a few other factors, specifically the earning potential of each degree.

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2. Earning capacity

Examining a career's earning potential is the greatest way to assess its long-term prospects. While some professions can be started with little education and have little earning potential, others demand a bachelor's degree and have very high wage levels.

Let's review all of our options and compare them to earnings.

We can now more clearly understand the value of each course.

We discovered that Mechatronics Technicians can begin their jobs quite quickly with simply a 10–12 week certificate program following high school or some college. In return, this occupation paid off with a median annual salary of $60,360, which is still more than the $58,260 national average.

Similar early career beginnings have led to median yearly wages of $100,640 for Mechatronics Engineers. According to our analysis, this offers the greatest return on education time invested.

For entry into the labor market, electrical engineers normally needed a bachelor's degree. Only 3% of workers were able to find employment prior to earning a bachelor's degree, therefore you must complete at least 4 years of university education in order to make $100,420 each year. Surprisingly, that's $220 less on average than you could expect to make with a degree in mechatronics.

Among all degrees, Mechanical Engineers earned the least, at $95,300 a year (Mechatronics Technicians were excluded because they just needed to complete a certificate program). However, you had to complete a 4-year bachelor's program before you could start looking for employment.

Finally, our research revealed that Electronics Engineering was the most difficult industry to break into. There is absolutely no chance that you could enter this field, with a certificate course. The minimum requirement was an associate's degree, but the majority had to complete a bachelor's program. Although, the greatest annual median salary of $104,820 was the payoff for it.

3. Employment dynamics

We should consider one final variable before making a final decision. The size of the labor market and the annual number of openings.

These two factors complete our full view of each professional route by showing the job opportunities over the next ten years. After looking at this, we can make our final judgments.

Table of  size of the labor market and the annual number of openings

According to projections, there will be the greatest job vacancies for candidates with a Mechanical engineering degree (17,900 jobs each year), second for those with an Electrical engineering degree (12,300 jobs per year), and finally for those with a Mechatronics degree (10,800 jobs annually).

Minimum education (time needed to start a profession), average earnings, and annual job opportunities are all factors that must be taken into consideration if we are to determine a winner. It turns out that earning a degree in mechatronics is beneficial.

In addition, if you are interested in a career in mechatronics, you might begin working in the field as soon as 10 to 12 weeks with this short certificate course right after graduating from high school.

If you decide later that mechatronics is a career you would like to pursue, you can enroll in a 2- or 4-year bachelor's program while continuing your job and generating income.

Remember, if you are interested in entering this profession today, consider enrolling in a free trial.

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What Is the Role of a Mechatronics Engineer?

Industrial sectors like automotive, aerospace, aviation, manufacturing, and oil & energy typically employ mechatronics experts. They are in charge of several jobs and responsibilities, such as:

  • Locating areas of an organization where tasks can be merged or automated.
  • Making mechatronic equipment that may be used for either industrial or consumer applications.
  • Developing systems and controls that are computer-driven and intelligent for use in a business.
  • Testing equipment and procedures while they are in operation.
  • Analyzing, modeling, and conducting feasibility studies for new mechatronic solutions.
  • Putting into practice effective solutions across their larger operation.
  • Identifying and resolving issues with current mechatronic systems and gadgets.

What Jobs Are Available in Mechatronics?

Project management positions can be attained with a degree in mechatronics. Mechatronics technicians are frequently employed in laboratories, processing facilities, and engineering design offices.

Mechatronics experts are needed in telecommunications, computer science, automobile engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence, consumer goods, and packaging.

Mechatronic specialists commonly have the following job titles:

  • Automation Engineer
  • Control Systems Engineer
  • Data Logging Engineer
  • Instrumentation Engineer
  • Project Engineer
  • Field Service Engineer
  • Robotics Engineer

What Skills Do I Need to Start a Career in Mechatronics?

You can start an entry-level job in mechatronics using the information and skills you'll gain by earning a certificate in the subject. Utilizing the equipment, software, and resources used in contemporary production scenarios will give you a practical learning experience.

In addition, you will also learn about industrial robots, electrical schematics, computer-aided design, and other technology-related subjects that will prepare you for a cutting-edge job.

Additionally, if you enjoy technology and wish to work in manufacturing, you can consider pursuing further study in the mechatronics discipline. Mechatronics technicians have an advantage if they hold an associate's degree or a brief postsecondary certificate before employment while hiring standards vary by industry.

We provide a specific guide to help you enter the field in just 10 weeks if you are truly considering pursuing a mechatronics career.

Final thoughts

The field of mechatronics has a bright future. With a degree in mechatronics engineering, you might set yourself up for a rewarding career at the cutting edge of technological development. These degrees provide the ideal blend of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, electrical engineering, and computer systems education that can boost your career.

A career in mechatronics is well-paid. The median salary for mechatronics technicians is $60,360. However, there is no reason why you cannot make the top-end average income of $98,070 if you are prepared to put in the required effort and demonstrate the required potential.

In this article, we examined the opportunity cost of a mechanical engineering degree in comparison to other related engineering degrees. It is obvious that a mechatronics degree offers many potentials due to the lowest entrance requirements for a job and pay that are better than or on par with those of other engineering specialties like Electrical, Mechanical, or Electronics Engineering.

We even looked at the potential for industry growth, and when we stepped back and considered the wider picture with all these factors, it became obvious that earning a degree in mechatronics is definitely worth it!

The finest part of the certificate is that Amazon will directly offer you a job, perhaps allowing you to recover your certificate cost within six months.

We really hope that this information was helpful to you in making a career decision. From everyone at Unmudl, we wish you the very best for a prosperous future.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated on:
March 12, 2024

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