83
The prospects: With so many possibilities for the future growth of
automation, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and other electrome-
chanical innovations, growth in the mechatronics field is uniquely
difficult to project. Currently, BLS is predicting that the industry
will grow about three percent between 2022 and 2032, but that
number could easily be outpaced depending on future innovations
in the autonomous space.
The education: Mechatronics jobs will typically require some form
of post-secondary education, whether it’s an associate’s degree, a
bachelor’s degree, or a certificate.
Assemblers and fabricators
The job: Not every step of the manufacturing process for every
product or part can be automated. Sometimes there needs to be
a person there on the assembly line, putting things together by
hand. From vehicles to toys to electronic devices, many of the
products you use every day likely have hand-built components that
were put together in the factory by assemblers and fabricators.
These manufacturing professionals also often play a quality control
role, keeping an eye out for defects in parts or other problems in
the manufacturing/assembly process that might affect the final
product.
The pay: The median salary for assemblers and fabricators in the
U.S. as of 2020 was approximately $39,700 per year.
The prospects: As automation technologies improve, the need for
assemblers and fabricators has declined—a trend that is expected
to continue into the future. In 2022, there were nearly 1.96 million
assembler and fabricator jobs in the U.S. BLS is projecting six
percent decline—a loss of more than 125,000 jobs—by 2032.
The education: Most manufacturers hiring assemblers and
fabricators won’t require more than a high school diploma, in
terms of credentials. Workers should expect on-the-job training
for all positions, though more complex or advanced assembly or