The Top 10 Careers in Robotics in 2024

A career in robotics is an incredibly rewarding path for budding engineers. With newer, faster, and more intelligent robots introduced every day, the industry offers several exciting careers for robotics engineers. Become part of the revolution today and join the ever-growing field.

From manufacturing and healthcare to agriculture and surveillance, robotics is helping shape a new world.

Looking to start your career in robotics? Click here to find out more info!

What is Robotics?

Robotics is the design, repair, and maintenance of robots. A robotics engineer learns a blend of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science principles to develop autonomous machines that perform a wide range of dull, dangerous, and complex tasks.

Now that robots can replace human labor, the field has opened up many careers across industries. Robotics professionals create machines that work according to pre-programmed instructions. Applications include:

Why Choose a Career in Robotics?

Automation remains the buzzword among industries worldwide. The concept has helped robots and autonomous systems achieve unprecedented growth. Robotics technicians, engineers, and scientists have achieved high salaries, funding opportunities and unlocked new research capabilities in the past few years. Other professionals have managed to introduce unique ventures due to immense innovation and growth in this field.

What Do Robotics Engineers Do?

Robotics engineers conceive, design, build and maintain robots and robotic devices. Their work involves drafting, testing, and applying high-level programming skills to develop innovative automated solutions.

Depending on the type of robot and application, the job roles can vary significantly. For instance, a professional can design robots for the healthcare industry or work as a robotics operator in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors.

What are some of the careers that use robotics?

Listed below are ten exciting career options you can pursue with an associate’s, graduate, or master’s degree in robotics.

1. Robotics Engineer

As mentioned above, robotics engineers work in core robotics companies. Their job involves the design, fabrication, testing, and assembling of robots. Engineers often rely on computer-aided design software to conceptualize their designs.

Robotics engineers may work with scientists and innovators to develop robots that suit specific industrial applications. According to information collected by Indeed.com, the average base salary for a robotics engineer can be $89,662 per year in the United States.

2. Electromechanical and Robotics Technician

Electromechanical and mechatronics technicians perform a variety of tasks in the field of robotics. They use mechanical, electrical, and electronic technology to test, operate, and repair drones, electromechanical systems, and automated machines. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Electromechanic technologists and technicians earn mean annual wages of $28.75 per hour or about $59,800 annually.

3. Mechanical Engineer

Robotics and automation have been some of the most rapidly growing areas in the mechanical engineering field. Mechanical engineers develop new robots for manufacturing, tool design, welding, and high-temperature applications.

A mechanical engineer may also install and commission a robotic system in the industry or conduct studies on designing robots most efficiently. A graduate degree is typically required for a successful career in the mechanical industry. According to data collected by the BLS, the average mechanical engineer earns around $90,160 per year.

4. Design Engineer

Design engineering professionals work specifically on the visual appearance of the robot. They work in association with a mechanical engineering team to ensure that their designs are practically achievable.

Typical responsibilities of a design engineer include sketching blueprints and conducting motion studies to simulate the final product. 

You may need an advanced degree or certificate course in design software to understand the process of designing functional assemblies from scratch. According to information collected by Payscale.com, design engineering professionals can expect an average salary of about $69,111.

5. Software Engineer

Software engineers are some of the highest-paid professionals in robotics. They work on the software design, integration, and up-gradation of assembly-level languages that run these machines.

A software engineering professional or a software developer also conducts extensive tests to ensure that the robot achieves its desired functionality. Software developers also need to stay on top of new developments to reconfigure robotic systems with more modern software.

Computer science graduates working as Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers make about $110,140 yearly on average in all fields.

6. Hardware Engineer

Robotics hardware engineers conduct research, design, develop, and test physical components like circuit boards that run the system. Hardware engineers may collaborate with a software developer to ensure that the circuitry executes the defined instructions correctly.

They may also oversee the manufacturing and design process of new prototypes and robotic systems. According to the latest data from the BLS, computer hardware engineers have an annual median pay of $119,560 per year.

7. Sales Engineer

Sales engineers help fuel the business side of robotics. They interact with potential customers and help them understand the functioning of robots and mechanical devices. A sales engineer may also talk with clients regarding their specific requirements and communicate to the design and manufacturing team.

In addition to a  robust technical understanding, sales engineers must possess strong communication and interpersonal skills to succeed in this profession. The national median salary of a sales engineer in the United States is $108,830 per year.

8. Aerospace Engineer

Aerospace engineers use robotics to develop systems to control flight systems, sensors, and regulatory devices. Some engineers also work in the design and development of unmanned aerial vehicles and drones for surveillance. Robotics play a crucial role in flight management and control systems, navigation, and safety equipment design. Aerospace engineers earn about $118,610 annually.

9. Computer Scientists

A computer scientist works in the field of predictive analytics and allied areas. They use advanced computer programming fundamentals and programming languages to automate the robots.

Some scientists also work in the machine learning domain to inculcate decision-making principles in autonomous robots. Machine learning engineers require keen interest and pre-requisite skill sets in data science, natural language processing, deep learning, neural networks, etc.

With an MS degree in Machine Learning/AI, you can become a computer and information research scientist. An average professional in this field makes about $126,830 per year.

10. User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) Designer

UI/UX engineers help create robust interfaces that can help people communicate with robots. They design the digital medium that can enable a user to operate the robotic system, understand its functionalities, and get more operation insights from the machine. The BLS shows that web developers and digital designers earn average annual salaries of $85,490.

Career Outlook

Robotics is an emerging field that offers diverse job opportunities for aspiring roboticists.

Advancements in technology have led to a lot of new applications of robotics across industries.

Where Can You Work as a Robotics Engineer?

Kickstart your career as a technician, engineer, or research at a government agency or private organization. With developments in robotic dexterity, machine learning, and sensor technologies, there are several opportunities in labs and universities for graduates.

Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Apple hire robotics engineers for many attractive roles and responsibilities. If you aspire and gain appropriate experience designing specific machines, you can even work with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in space exploration missions and navigation systems.

Autonomous vehicle manufacturers like Tesla also hire robotics graduates to design driving and navigation systems on a large scale. Defense manufacturing firms have developed many exciting technologies in the past decade and present a conducive learning environment for budding roboticists. 

Manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, supply chain, surveillance, construction, and even food industries also rely on robotics to develop fast and meaningful solutions.

How to Get Better at Robotics?

If you’re in the market for a high-paying role in the robotics field, here are a few helpful suggestions:

1. Get an Education

An associate’s degree is an excellent option to kickstart your robotics education. You’ll gain the necessary knowledge and skills to design and develop robotic and autonomous systems during your learning. After completing your associate program, you can pursue a bachelor’s degree to advance your skills and knowledge in the field.

If you want to pursue research and other innovative positions, you can also work towards a master’s degree after completing your undergraduate degree. The New England Institute of Technology offers a comprehensive Associate of Science degree in Electronics, Robotics & Drones Technology that helps you seek entry-level employment in several emerging and exciting areas in robotics.

2. Get Advanced Training and Certifications

Specializing in core areas like programming, coding, embedded system design can help you acquire the desired skill sets and give you an edge over other professionals in your field. Along with preparing you for excellent career opportunities, advanced training certificates also help you pursue a career path in allied areas like electronics and computer science.

3. Gain Experience

Hands-on experience is a must in the robotics industry. You can apply for internships and practical training programs to learn about the autonomous systems that industries use currently. On-the-job training programs also help you stay in touch with the latest happenings in your field. Practical experience might also be necessary to apply for higher education programs.

Conclusion

The robotics field offers several exciting opportunities with a high-paying salary and excellent growth prospects. Formal education, certification, hands-on training, and work experience can further improve your chances of a fulfilling career in the field.

FAQs

What Are Some Careers in Robotics?

The robotics field offers several job opportunities for robotic technicians, engineers, and researchers. Mechanical engineers, electronics engineers, and computer science graduates can also take up allied jobs in their respective fields.

Is Robotics a Good Career?

Robotics is an excellent vocation as industries are increasingly relying on them and autonomous systems to improve their speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Along with the prospects of a high salary, it provides you the opportunity to learn cutting-edge technology and achieve tremendous growth.

What Kind of Degree Do You Need to Be a Robotics Engineer?

You can complete an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s program in robotics. Alternatively, you can also pursue minors in robotics with a core engineering degree to gain employment in the field. While associate’s degrees prepare you for technician roles, a higher education program enables you to take up advanced research roles in robotics.

What Are the 5 Major Fields of Robotics?

From engineering to medical and from space research to home, the use and applications of robots are finding new ground. The top five fields of robotics application are: