How to become a Robotics Engineer

Official title: Robotics Engineers

Also called: Automation Engineer, Autonomous Vehicle Design Engineer, Design Engineer, Factory Automations Engineer, Research Engineer, Robotic Systems Engineer

Research, design, develop, or test robotic applications.

Main tasks

• Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates.
• Process or interpret signals or sensor data.
• Debug robotics programs.
• Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.
• Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters.
• Provide technical support for robotic systems.
• Design end-of-arm tooling.
• Design robotic systems, such as automatic vehicle control, autonomous vehicles, advanced displays, advanced sensing, robotic platforms, computer vision, or telematics systems.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Engineering degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
• Licence: A licence is required in 45 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $122,930 a year The middle half earn $90,970 to $158,090.
• About 166,700 people work in this job now, and about 173,000 are projected by 2035. (+3.7%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Wind Energy Engineers
• Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar
• Mechatronics Engineers
• Solar Energy Systems Engineers
• Microsystems Engineers
• Photonics Engineers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Robotics Engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees.

How much does a Robotics Engineer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $122,930 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $90,970 to $158,090.

Is a Robotics Engineer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 166,700 to about 173,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Robotics Engineer?

Usually. 84% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Robotics Engineer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.