Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
Operate, test, maintain, or adjust unmanned, automated, servomechanical, or electromechanical equipment. May operate unmanned submarines, aircraft, or other equipment to observe or record visual information at sites such as oil rigs, crop fields, buildings, or for similar infrastructure, deep ocean exploration, or hazardous waste removal. May assist engineers in testing and designing robotics equipment.
15,520 people do this job in the US. $73,900 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 26%
- 3%
- 72%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 8%. Today's estimate: 10%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 28 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop, test, or program new robots.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 15% | 2.5 work days3.3 h to 2.5 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Modify, maintain, or repair electrical, electronic, or mechanical components, equipment, or systems to ensure proper functioning.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 2.5 h50 min to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Test performance of electromechanical assemblies, using test instruments such as oscilloscopes, electronic voltmeters, or bridges.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 h38 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Install electrical or electronic parts and hardware in housings or assemblies, using soldering equipment and hand tools.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Fabricate or assemble mechanical, electrical, or electronic components or assemblies.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 2.5 h50 min to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Repair, rework, or calibrate hydraulic or pneumatic assemblies or systems to meet operational specifications or tolerances.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Assist engineers to implement electromechanical designs in industrial or other settings. | 5% | 6.7 h3.3 h to 3.3 work days | Stays with people | |
| Align, fit, or assemble component parts, using hand or power tools, fixtures, templates, or microscopes.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality-control or quality-assurance programs and procedures.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 3.3 work days | 7%Half by Nov 2027 | |
| Install or program computer hardware or machine or instrumentation software in microprocessor-based systems.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Analyze engineering designs of logic or digital circuitry, motor controls, instrumentation, or data acquisition for implementation into new or existing automated, servomechanical, or other electromechanical systems.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | 38%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Consult with machinists to ensure that electromechanical equipment or systems meet design specifications. | 3% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians4% now, 17% by 2028
- Avionics Technicians6% now, 15% by 2028
- Robotics Technicians11% now, 26% by 2028
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians17% now, 55% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians17% now, 49% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment14% now, 20% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services2,240 people
- Scientific Research and Development Services1,630 people
- Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)1,590 people
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing690 people
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing690 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).