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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Mechatronics Engineers?
Task-level automation exposure for Mechatronics Engineers: 23 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
52%
weighted task index
23 of 23 tasks scored
Median Salary
$122,930 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
High
154,070 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+3.7%
employment change
8,800 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 53 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$76,100 – $162,070
Highest medians
New Mexico $162,070
Alabama $152,550
District of Columbia $151,920
Virginia $148,160
Alaska $142,390
Lowest medians
Kansas $76,100
Arkansas $76,940
Puerto Rico $81,370
Nebraska $88,490
Tennessee $96,640
State figures come from the 17-2199 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 52%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 3%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 46%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 10%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 11/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
23 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 31%
7 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 65%
15 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 5%
1 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#16467 · Core · 50% automatable
Create mechanical design documents for parts, assemblies, or finished products.
visual inspection — Drafts equipment graphics; engineering accuracy human
Create graphical representations of mechanical equipment.
#16482 · Core · 45% automatable
Design advanced precision equipment for accurate or controlled applications.
decision support — AI drafts electromechanical designs; engineer verifies
Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
#16474 · Core · 45% automatable
Design engineering systems for the automation of industrial tasks.
decision support — AI models process systems; engineer validates feasibility
Design industrial processing systems.
#16470 · Core · 35% automatable
Implement or test design solutions.
decision support — Process improvements need physical/organizational execution
Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment. Implement design or process improvements.
#16468 · Core · 75% automatable
Maintain technical project files.
data analysis — Maintain records systems; human owns integrity
Maintain operational records or records systems.
#23946 · Core · 63% automatable
Identify materials appropriate for mechatronic system designs.
data analysis — Estimates from specs; human validates assumptions and risk
Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects. Select project materials.
#16471 · Core · 50% automatable
Research, select, or apply sensors, communication technologies, or control devices for motion control, position sensing, pressure sensing, or electronic communication.
decision support — Tool selection needs context; human decides and procures
Research engineering applications of emerging technologies. Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
#16483 · Core · 45% automatable
Apply mechatronic or automated solutions to the transfer of materials, components, or finished goods.
decision support — AI drafts electromechanical designs; engineer verifies
Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
#16465 · Core · 58% automatable
Provide consultation or training on topics such as mechatronics or automated control.
decision support — Proposes design changes; human validates feasibility
Train personnel on proper operational procedures. Provide technical guidance to other personnel. Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
#16466 · Core · 30% automatable
Oversee the work of contractors in accordance with project requirements.
interpersonal — Supervising engineers needs accountability and motivation
Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
#16464 · Core · 82% automatable
Publish engineering reports documenting design details or qualification test results.
text generation — Document test results from provided data
Document design or operational test results.
#16479 · Core · 45% automatable
Upgrade the design of existing devices by adding mechatronic elements.
decision support — AI drafts electromechanical designs; engineer verifies
Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
#23947 · Core · 42% automatable
Create mechanical models to simulate mechatronic design concepts.
data analysis — Analyzes design/requirements data; engineer owns judgment
Analyze design or requirements information for mechanical equipment or systems. Create physical models or prototypes.
#16469 · Core · 68% automatable
Analyze existing development or manufacturing procedures and suggest improvements.
decision support — Proposes design changes; human validates feasibility
Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
#23948 · Core · 68% automatable
Determine the feasibility, costs, or performance benefits of new mechatronic equipment.
data analysis — Operational cost estimation from data
Estimate operational costs.
#16480 · Supplemental · 60% automatable
Develop electronic, mechanical, or computerized processes to perform tasks in dangerous situations, such as underwater exploration or extraterrestrial mining.
text generation — AI drafts technical methods; expert validates feasibility
Develop technical methods or processes.
#19655 · Supplemental · 39% automatable
Monitor or calibrate automated systems, industrial control systems, or system components to maximize efficiency of production.
data analysis — Efficiency metrics are digital and analyzable by AI
Monitor the productivity or efficiency of industrial operations. Calibrate scientific or technical equipment.
#16476 · Supplemental · 72% automatable
Create embedded software design programs.
text generation — Code generation strong; human architects and reviews
Develop software or computer applications.
#16475 · Supplemental · 50% automatable
Design advanced electronic control systems for mechanical systems.
decision support — AI drafts control logic; engineer validates safety
Design control systems for mechanical or other equipment.
#19654 · Supplemental · 50% automatable
Design self-monitoring mechanical systems, such as gear systems that monitor loading or condition of systems to detect and prevent failures.
decision support — AI drafts control logic; engineer validates safety
Design control systems for mechanical or other equipment.
#19653 · Supplemental · 38% automatable
Design or develop automated control systems for environmental applications, such as waste processing, air quality, or water quality systems.
decision support — AI assists design; engineering and regulatory validation human
Design environmental control systems.
#16473 · Supplemental · 45% automatable
Design, develop, or implement control circuits or algorithms for electromechanical or pneumatic devices or systems.
decision support — AI drafts electromechanical designs; engineer verifies
Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
#16481 · Supplemental · 45% automatable
Design mechatronics components for computer-controlled products, such as cameras, video recorders, automobiles, or airplanes.
decision support — AI drafts electromechanical designs; engineer verifies
Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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