Programs and fixes the small industrial computers that run assembly lines and robots.
You plug a laptop into a packaging machine, step through its program, and find a faulty sensor causing jams.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate in automation or mechatronics; PLC training from Rockwell or Siemens.
Ways in: 2-year college, Trade school. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Automation, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering Technology.
Growing faster than average. No separate BLS projection for this specialty; rating is an estimate based on industry trends.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI copilots now draft PLC ladder logic and HMI screens; commissioning, debugging live lines and safety interlocks stay human.
Classes: Algebra II, Physics, Computer science, Mechatronics or robotics CTE.
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.