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Job Description

Overview

JPL is focused on seeking answers to the biggest questions in the universe, fostering innovation and collaboration in a unique work environment. The Mechatronics Engineer II role involves developing advanced mechanical and robotic systems for spacecraft and ground-based systems.

Responsibilities

  • Develop mechanisms, materials, and electronics for JPL missions.
  • Support mechanical hardware development for payloads, instruments, and spacecraft.
  • Perform design and analysis, and maintain engineering documentation.
  • Ensure products meet technical requirements and programmatic commitments.
  • Contribute to cost and schedule estimation and implementation planning.
  • Support and present at technical reviews.
  • Provide technical guidance to support engineers and designers.
  • Mentor and train junior technical team members.
  • Collaborate on tasks across various disciplines.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 3 years of experience, or a Master’s degree with 1 year of experience, or a PhD.
  • Experience with spacecraft or instrument mechatronics development.
  • Knowledge of translating design requirements into hardware configurations.
  • Experience with task planning and managing schedules.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Located in Pasadena, California.
  • Campus-like environment on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
  • Focus on work-life balance.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Pasadena, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $65/hr, this posting sits about 87% above the $35/hr median for welding jobs across California — toward the top of a $28–$48/hr middle band drawn from 443 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 89% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Pasadena, CA

Pasadena, CA currently has 7 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 3 employers. 4 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 592 other active welding openings from 268 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Pasadena, or widen the search to California.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory currently has 5 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), Vast (18), and Relativity Space (17). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Gardena at $73/hr, Redondo Beach at $72/hr, and Long Beach at $54/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Pasadena, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mechatronics Engineer II figures were last recalculated when this page was built.