Employers

Mechatronics engineers work in many fields, including the aerospace, automotive, defense, mining, agriculture, robotics, biomedical, and communications industries. Others are self-employed or work for colleges and universities or government agencies. According to the Department of Labor, there are 330,300 electrical and electronics engineers and 312,900 mechanical engineers employed in the United States.

Starting Out

Many mechatronics engineers find their first job through their university’s career services office. Companies often send recruiters to college campuses to interview and potentially hire engineering graduates. Another great way to get your foot in the door is to participate in an internship or co-op at a company that employs mechatronics engineers. Newspapers, professional journals, and job sites (such as CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, and SimplyHired.com) often list job openings for mechatronics engineers. Some professional associations, such as ASME, offer job listings at their Web sites.

Engineering associations can also provide tips on landing a job. For example, the National Society of Professional Engineers provides webinars for its student members. Past webinars included “Career Success in Engineering: A Guide for Students and New Professionals,” “Ethics and Professionalism for Students and Young Engineers,” “How to Get Your First Job,” and “Engineering Your Career with a High Quality Social Network.”

Engineers advance by receiving pay raises and by working on bigger and more complex projects. Others become senior engineers, engineering managers, production managers, or company executives. Some mechatronics engineers use their technical knowledge in marketing and sales and positions, while others start their own engineering businesses or consulting firms. A few engineers earn Ph.D.s and become college professors. 

Read publications such as Mechatronics: The Science of Intelligent Machines (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/mechatronics) and Mechanical Engineering (https://www.asme.org) to learn more about the field.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings: https://www.nspe.org/resources/career-center/job-board/job-board and https://careers.swe.org.

Attend the Mechatronic and Embedded Systems and Applications Conference (http://iel.ucdavis.edu/mesa/conferences.php) to network and to interview for jobs.