Mechatronics Engineer
Mechatronics engineers design and build machines that combine mechanical parts, electronics and software, so a device can sense what is happening around it, decide what to do and act on that decision.
- Median salary
- $143,600
4.3%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 6,300
1.6%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +22.9%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 41/wk
+1h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Mechatronics engineers work where mechanical design, electronics and software meet, building robotic arms, automated production lines, packaging equipment and smart consumer devices. Most are employed in manufacturing, professional and technical services, and technology companies, taking a system from a computer model through prototyping to a machine running on a factory floor. The role sits close to mechanical and electrical engineering, but the mechatronics engineer is usually the one making sure all three parts work together as a single system, and because the title is not protected in Australia the same work appears under job names such as automation, controls and robotics engineer.
How much do mechatronics engineers earn?
The median full-time salary for a mechatronics engineer is $143,600 per annum, before tax, up $30,200 since 2018.
What you earn depends on the sector, the size of the employer and whether an enterprise agreement covers you, since agreements set annual increments, overtime and site allowances for a lot of engineering work. Chartered status through Engineers Australia, and registration in the states that require it, can move you into a higher band later on, and roles with regular site work often carry additional allowances.
What does a mechatronics engineer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Wiring sensors and actuators, then writing the code that gets them talking to each other
- Debugging a robot arm that runs perfectly in simulation but jams on the shop floor
- Building test rigs and running cycles to find the point where a machine starts to fail
- Tuning control logic on a production line when the real cycle time drifts away from the specification
- Sitting down with mechanical and software colleagues to work out which subsystem is causing a fault
What skills do mechatronics engineers need?
Employers look for engineering design and analysis, cAD and technical drawing, programming and software development, backed by MATLAB/Simulink fluency and strong problem solving.
Specialist skills
- Engineering design and analysis
- CAD and technical drawing
- Programming and software development
- Project engineering and delivery
- Data analysis
- Project management
Software and tools
- MATLAB/Simulink
- PLC programming software
- CAD (SolidWorks/AutoCAD)
- Arduino/Embedded systems
- Oscilloscope
General skills
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
Is the job growing?
About 6,300 people work as mechatronics engineers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 22.9% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a mechatronics engineer?
Here's the path most mechatronics engineers take, step by step.
- 1Complete a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in mechatronics
It runs four years full time and is accredited by Engineers Australia, covering mechanics, electronics, control theory and programming alongside a final-year design project. The honours component is standard for the accredited degree.
- 2Do the industry experience your degree requires
Accredited engineering degrees include a period of approved work experience, usually around 12 weeks, which most students complete as paid vacation work or an internship with a manufacturer, an automation integrator or a defence contractor.
- 3Apply for graduate programs during your final year
Large manufacturers, automation firms and engineering consultancies run structured graduate intakes, and applications usually open months before you finish. You will be competing with mechanical and electrical graduates for many of the same roles.
- 4Use a master's if your first degree is in another field
A two-year Master of Engineering suits people who already hold a related bachelor's degree, including electrical engineers and engineering technicians who need the formal qualification before working under the mechatronics title.
- 5Work towards chartered status, and registration where your state requires it
Engineers Australia chartered status is usually applied for after about four years of practice and a written assessment. Some states require registration for particular engineering work on buildings and infrastructure, such as RPEQ in Queensland, and the rules differ between states.
Ready to apply as a mechatronics engineer?
Whether you're working toward becoming a mechatronics engineer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a mechatronics engineer move to?
Moving into Engineering Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $39,400 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Manager Mechatronics engineers move into engineering management, leading multidisciplinary technical teams, usually after gaining management qualifications to support the step up.Known move | +$39,400 | 23% | requalify |
| Telecommunications Engineer Mechatronics engineers move into telecommunications engineering, using their signal and electronics knowledge, with further study in network and communications systems.Known move | +$1,800 | 41% | reskill |
| Mechanical Engineer Mechatronics engineers move into mechanical engineering, applying shared machine design and dynamics knowledge, with little retraining needed in electronics and control.Known move | −$7,700 | 64% | minimal |
| Electrical Engineer Mechatronics engineers move into electrical engineering, applying their electronics, control and embedded systems skills with a short course in power systems.Known move | −$10,800 | 54% | short course |
| Software Engineer Mechatronics engineers move into software engineering, building on embedded programming and systems thinking, with further study in software development practice.Known move | −$11,700 | 33% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a mechatronics engineer?
The typical mechatronics engineer is 46 years old; 89% are men, 87% work full-time, and full-timers average 41 hours a week.
- 46
- Median age
- 11%
- Female share
- 87%
- Full-time
- +1h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a mechatronics engineer?
The work swings between long stretches at a desk and the messier business of getting hardware to behave in a plant that is already running. Control and software problems take up much of the day, so people who like both code and machinery tend to get more out of it than those who want one or the other. Projects bring a clear rhythm: design and simulation first, then build, then commissioning, when the hours and the pressure concentrate.
What people like
- You see the machine working. The result is physical: a robot cell or a production line that cycles because of control logic you wrote and wiring you checked.
- The problems cross disciplines. When a machine misbehaves the cause might be a loose sensor, a heat problem or a single line of code, so fault finding keeps its variety.
- Small teams, wide remit. In smaller automation firms you might scope, build and commission a system largely yourself, which builds a broad base of skills early in your career.
- The equipment keeps changing. Drives, sensors, vision systems and robot platforms are replaced every few years, so there is regular new hardware to learn if you keep up with suppliers and standards.
What people find hard
- Commissioning eats weekends. Machines are often installed or upgraded during planned shutdowns, so site work can land on nights and weekends, sometimes in another state.
- The real world ignores your simulation. Hardware behaves differently from the model, and hours go into vibration, heat, sensor noise and tolerances that no simulation predicted.
- Pressure lands at the end of a project. Design slippage tends to be absorbed during installation, when the customer's line is stopped and the completion date does not move.
- It is easy to get slotted into one side. Some employers put graduates straight into controls work or mechanical drafting, so you may need to ask for the integration work that made you choose the field.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ mechatronics engineers?
Manufacturing employs the largest share of mechatronics engineers, followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Manufacturing
- 2Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 3Information Media and Telecommunications
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 50.2% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 29.2% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 9.2% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 4.5% | |
| Year 12 or below | 4.1% |
Will AI replace mechatronics engineers?
Mechatronics engineering sits in the middle: software now drafts much of the control code, simulation and documentation, but the physical side of the job, building, commissioning and fault finding on real machinery, is largely untouched by it. Expect AI to speed up design iterations and first drafts rather than replace the engineer standing at a stopped production line.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Writing and tuning control codeTools can produce PLC, robot and embedded code from a specification, but timing, safety interlocks and behaviour on the real machine still need an engineer to test and adjust.30%moderate
- Machine design and CAD modellingGenerative design and simulation suggest layouts and components quickly, while tolerances, manufacturability and the customer's constraints still come down to judgement.25%moderate
- Prototyping, testing and commissioningFitting sensors, tracing wiring and getting a cell to cycle reliably on site depends on what the machine actually does, which is hands-on work in a live plant.25%low
- Documentation, specifications and reportsManuals, test reports and design specifications are largely text and drawings, so language models and drawing tools can turn out a usable first draft.20%high
Common questions about becoming a mechatronics engineer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do mechatronics engineers earn?
Mechatronics engineers earn a median of $143,600 per year before tax, based on full-time workers. That figure covers a wide spread, since a graduate controls engineer and a chartered engineer with fifteen years of experience are counted together.
How do you become a mechatronics engineer?
The standard route is a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in mechatronics, accredited by Engineers Australia. It covers mechanics, electronics, control theory and programming, and includes a period of approved industry experience that most students complete as paid vacation work or an internship.
Are mechatronics engineers in demand?
Mechatronics engineers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 22.9% over the decade to 2035. Because the title is not protected and the skills overlap with automation and controls roles, vacancies often appear under those names, so it pays to search a few variations when you are looking for work.
Will AI replace mechatronics engineers?
AI changes parts of the job rather than the whole of it. Control code, CAD layouts and simulation runs are increasingly drafted or optimised by software, which speeds up the early design stage, while commissioning, fault finding and getting physical hardware to behave in a live plant still need someone on site. The balance shifts towards supervising and validating machine output instead of writing everything from scratch.
What can a mechatronics engineer move into?
Mechanical engineering is a short step, since machine design and dynamics carry over and little retraining is needed, with pay tending to be $7,700 less. Electrical engineering is a related move that usually needs a short course in power systems, and experienced engineers can step into engineering management, where pay tends to be $39,400 more.
What is the difference between mechatronics and mechanical engineering?
Mechanical engineering concentrates on machines, structures, materials and how forces move through them. Mechatronics takes that base and adds electronics, control and programming, so the focus is a system that senses, decides and acts. Many projects need both, which is why the two roles often work side by side on the same equipment.
Related roles
- Electrical Engineer
- Engineering Manager
- Software Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Telecommunications Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
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