Drafters, Engineering Technicians, and Mapping Technicians

How to become a Robotics Technician

Official title: Robotics Technicians

Also called: Automation Technician, Electrical and Instrumentation Technician (E and I Technician), Instrument and Automation Technician, Instrument Specialist, Instrument Technician, Instrumentation and Controls Technician, Instrumentation and Process Controls Technician, Process Control Technician, Programmable Logic Controllers Technician

Build, install, test, or maintain robotic equipment or related automated production systems.

Main tasks

Make repairs to robots or peripheral equipment, such as replacement of defective circuit boards, sensors, controllers, encoders, or servomotors.
Troubleshoot robotic systems, using knowledge of microprocessors, programmable controllers, electronics, circuit analysis, mechanics, sensor or feedback systems, hydraulics, or pneumatics.
Install, program, or repair programmable controllers, robot controllers, end-of-arm tools, or conveyors.
Maintain service records of robotic equipment or automated production systems.
Modify computer-controlled robot movements.
Perform preventive or corrective maintenance on robotic systems or components.
Align, fit, or assemble components, using hand tools, power tools, fixtures, templates, or microscopes.
Attach wires between controllers.

How to become one

Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians typically need either an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate.

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Robotics Technician.
Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General; Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians; Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $73,900 a year The middle half earn $59,780 to $88,540.
About 15,700 people work in this job now, and about 16,200 are projected by 2035. (+2.6%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Robotics Technician?

Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians typically need either an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate.

How much does a Robotics Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $73,900 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $59,780 to $88,540.

Is a Robotics Technician a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 15,700 to about 16,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Robotics Technician?

Usually not. Only 23% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Associate's degree; Robotics Technician.

Will AI change the work of a Robotics Technician?

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 Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, 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.