Also called: Animatronic Engineer, Robotics Technician (Entertainment)
Builds and maintains robotic creatures and figures for films and theme parks.
An animatronics tech fine-tunes the motors in a dinosaur's jaw, repairs a theme park pirate whose arm stopped moving, and programs a creature's blink to sync with sound.
Approximate; based on electro-mechanical technician pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Mechatronics or robotics degree, or engineering background.
Ways in: 2-year college, 4-year college, Trade school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechatronics, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing about average. Theme parks and practical effects keep demand steady.
Low risk for 10 years. AI control software makes figures smarter, but building, wiring and repairing robots stays hands-on technical work.
Classes: Electronics, Robotics or engineering CTE, AP Physics, Art (sculpture).
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3024.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.