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Robotics Engineers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeHigh pressure

What they do

Research, design, develop, or test robotic applications.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $122,930 Median per year · $59.10/hr Most earn $66,810–$189,950

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates.
  • Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.
  • Design or program robotics systems for environmental clean-up applications to minimize human exposure to toxic or hazardous materials or to improve the quality or speed of clean-up operations.
  • Plan mobile robot paths and teach path plans to robots.
  • Design robotics applications for manufacturers of green products, such as wind turbines or solar panels, to increase production time, eliminate waste, or reduce costs.
  • Automate assays on laboratory robotics.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 8,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service21.8%
  • Engineering services11.0%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences6.5%
  • Self-employed (their own business)5.2%
  • Management of companies and enterprises4.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Robotics Engineering usually isn't a straight-out-of-school job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 2 to 4 years in a related engineering role before moving into robotics work, so plan on roughly 6 to 8 years in total.

  1. Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, computer, or mechatronics engineering

    4 years

    You learn the math, physics, circuits, and design skills that every robot is built on, and you can add robotics or control courses as electives.

  2. Mechatronics Engineer

    2-4 years

    You work on systems that combine mechanical parts, electronics, and software, which gives you hands-on experience with the same kinds of machines robotics teams build.

  3. Robotics Engineer

    Ongoing

    You research, design, build, and test robotic systems, drawing on your degree and the experience you gained in your first engineering role.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Robotics Engineer

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on bigger projects, lead design decisions, and mentor newer engineers, usually by showing you can own a robot from idea to testing.

  2. Microsystems Engineer

    4-6 years of experience first

    You focus on very small sensors and devices, and many people in this role earn a master's degree to build deeper expertise.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take physics, calculus, and computer scienceThese classes build the math and problem-solving skills that engineering degrees depend on.
  • Join a robotics or engineering clubWorking on a team robot teaches you design, building, and testing in a real project setting.
  • Enter a science or engineering competitionCompetitions give you a goal to work toward and something concrete to show colleges and future employers.
  • Learn a programming language like PythonRobots run on code, so basic programming now will make later engineering classes much easier.
  • Look for a summer job or volunteer position at a makerspace or repair shopHands-on work with tools, electronics, or machines builds practical skills you will use on robots.

In college

  • Major in mechanical, electrical, computer, or mechatronics engineeringThese majors cover the core skills robotics engineers use every day, and many schools offer robotics courses within them.
  • Join a robotics team or student design clubBuilding and testing robots with a team gives you hands-on experience and teamwork skills that employers look for.
  • Seek an internship or co-op in engineeringReal industry experience counts toward the 2 to 4 years of related work most robotics engineers have before this job.
  • Take programming and control systems coursesRobots need software that controls their sensors and motors, so these skills are central to robotics work.
  • Work a campus job in a lab or makerspaceHelping with research equipment or projects builds experience and gives you professors who can recommend you.

Tips for getting started

  • Build real robots outside class, such as in a robotics club or a personal project with motors, sensors, and code. Employers often care more about what you have built than your grades alone.
  • Get comfortable with both hardware and programming, since robotics work mixes mechanical design, electronics, and software. Taking courses in more than one of these areas will keep your options open.
  • Look for internships or co-op jobs during college, because the 2 to 4 years of experience this path needs often starts there.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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