The field of robotics exists at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer science, and engineering. If you are interested in pursuing a career in a fast-paced, innovative, and multifaceted environment, then robotics is for you. In this article, we’ve detailed how to get a job in robotics, the highest-paying robotics jobs, and the robotics skills necessary for a successful career.
In this article, we also cover the top educational pathways you can take and the essential skills you should develop before getting started, as well as interview tips and industry certifications you can get to build a career in robotics.
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What Is Robotics?
Robotics is a multidisciplinary field that uses machine learning, mechanical engineering, computer science, and other advanced science and tech concepts to design and produce robots. The use of robotic machines and technologies has become prevalent across several technology-dependent fields. Today, automotive, healthcare, information technology, AI, and virtual reality industries use robotic systems.
Be careful of limiting your understanding of the current robotics field to the idea of humanoid-looking robots. Robotics technicians and robotics engineers have constructed ample robotic technologies ranging from sensors, prosthetic limbs, drones, medical assistants, exoskeletons, and vacuum cleaners.
Robotics Job Outlook
The job outlook for a career in robotics is positive. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), projects the job outlook for robotics engineers to grow by seven percent between 2020 and 2030. BLS categorizes robotics technicians and engineers under mechanical engineering professions.
What Education Do I Need to Become a Robotics Engineer?
The industry-standard education needed to become a robotics engineer is a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering. This is just the minimum requirement, as the robotics and artificial intelligence fields often require an advanced degree to grow in your career. There are also some associate degrees, online courses, and coding bootcamps that can help you enter the robotics field.
Can I Get a Robotics Job Without a Degree?
Yes, you can potentially get a robotics job without a degree. There are several educational routes you can take to learn robotics. You can enroll in online robotics courses, complete certification programs, or attend coding bootcamps to jump-start your career in robotics. However, you’ll also need considerable practical experience as well as strong technical knowledge to land lucrative positions.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Job in Robotics?
Yes, a coding bootcamp can help you get a job in robotics. Coding bootcamps are short-term training programs that help you develop tech skills and prepare you for an entry-level position. The field of robotics is interdisciplinary, integrating software engineering, artificial intelligence, automation, and user experience design applications.
Coding bootcamps are excellent educational avenues that provide ample theoretical and hands-on experience as well as the tech training needed to get a job in robotics. However, your choice of bootcamp will differ depending on your dream robotics job. You can attend Flatiron School, Thinkful, or NuCamp to learn software engineering or attend Simplilearn, The Tech Academy, or BrainStation to learn about AI.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Job in Robotics?
Getting a job in robotics can take five to six years. This will vary significantly depending on your educational route, previous job experience, and industry skill set. What you choose to specialize in will also affect the time you’ll spend getting your education and gaining practical experience. Getting a job with a bachelor’s degree will typically require less previous practical job experience compared to an online course certificate.
Common Robotics Education Paths
The path you take when it comes to your robotics education will vary depending on what you want to specialize in, what you can afford, and how long you want to spend in education before getting into the robotics industry. Below are the common robotics educational paths you can take to become a robotics expert and land lucrative jobs in the field.
Robotics Bootcamps
Coding bootcamps offer tons of software engineering, artificial intelligence, and user experience design courses that can help you land a robotics job. Bootcamp certificates are often accepted by top companies and typically take a few months to complete. They also cost less than a four-year college education. They provide you with in-demand skills, career counseling, and some offer job placement guarantees.
Community College
Community colleges are educational institutions that offer two-year degree programs and certification courses. You can enroll in robotics associate degree programs to get a formal education and further your career. This education path requires less time commitment and is widely accepted in the tech industry. You can also transfer your community college credits to a bachelor’s degree program.
Robotics Degrees
The standard education requirement for most robotics engineering professions is a bachelor’s degree. You can major in mechanical engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence, or electrical engineering to qualify for robotics jobs. If you want to land a senior robotics role or pursue a research career path, then a two-year master’s-level robotics program or a doctorate are great options.
An advanced robotics degree is the most expensive and lengthy educational pathway. However, it offers by far the best return on investments as you’ll get access to higher-paying jobs and better career opportunities.
Key Robotics Skills to List on Your Resume
The key robotics skills you should list on your resume include both soft and hard skills. You’ll need to attain analytical, research, UX/UI design, and artificial intelligence skills to be successful in this field. Below are the top three technical skills pertinent to leading a fruitful robotics career.
Python and Other Programming Languages
Listing in-depth programming skills, especially Python programming skills, on your resume is crucial for showcasing your understanding of the development process of robotic machinery. Regardless of the robotics profession you want, you’ll need a solid base of software programming skills to code your robot.
Mathematics and STEM
Mathematics, computation, and advanced STEM skills are another set of abilities that are vital to any robotics expert. Math and technology applications are used throughout the design, modeling, development, execution, and maintenance stages of robotics.
Software and Hardware Engineering
A large proportion of the duties of those with a robotics job revolves around software and hardware engineering tasks. You should list your mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering skills on your resume to highlight your robot construction, augmentation, and execution abilities.
Where to Find Robotics Jobs
Your job search process will be predominantly digital-based. This is great, as applying to jobs will be simpler than ever and always available at your fingertips. Below are the top job search platforms where you can find robotics jobs.
Indeed
Indeed is one of the most popular job search platforms that advertises open positions from top companies. Be aware that you’ll need to refine your search to robotics jobs and input your preferred location into the Indeed search engine to find relevant positions. You can also sign up with your email to receive alerts about new robotics job openings.
LinkedIn is a career networking, skills training, and job search platform that also available positions. You can add your resume, portfolio, and job summary to your profile and use it to connect with robotics professionals around the world to find sought-after job opportunities. The platform also allows you to connect with recruiters to increase your chances of being hired.
Company Websites
If you don’t want to apply via third-party websites, you can simply search for open positions on the official websites of popular robotics companies. This process does require you to do a bit more research, but can sometimes be more favorable for you.
How to Prepare for Your Robotics Interview
Preparing for your robotics interview can be a stressful process. To increase your chances of a successful interview, you’ll need to prepare a solid elevator speech, brush up on your technical skills, and research the company and position you’re applying for. Your answers will need to showcase your technical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
Robotics Interview Questions
- What programming languages are you familiar with? Tell us about a few projects you’ve worked on using them.
- Describe your understanding of the applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the robotics field. How do you envision the integration of these fields in the next ten years?
- Name the main types of robots and their uses?
- Are you familiar with mechanical and electrical engineering? If so, how?
The Five Highest-Paying Robotics Jobs
| Robotics Jobs | Average Salary | Projected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Robotics Researcher | $112,226 | 22% * |
| Artificial Intelligence Robotics Engineer | $89,958 | 22%** |
| Robotics Engineer | $85,047 | 7%* |
| Prosthetics Engineer | $83,537 | 18%* |
| Robotics Deployment Engineer | $81,866 | 7%** |
*The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categorizes robotics researchers and artificial intelligence robotics engineers under computer and information research scientists.
*BLS categorizes prosthetics engineers under orthotists and prosthetists.
*BLS categorizes robotics engineers and robotics deployment engineers under mechanical engineers.
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Robotics Researcher
- Salary: $112,226
Robotics researchers are scientists who engage in robot modeling, prototyping, engineering, and design research. Their job is to research and help produce optimal robotic machinery that fulfills industry requirements.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robotics Engineer
- Salary: $89,958
AI robotics engineers work with software robotics technologies and use machine learning and deep learning technologies to train robot machines. This job requires the use of AI, data analysis, mathematics computation, and software engineering.
Robotics Engineer
- Salary: $85,047
Robotics engineers use hardware and software engineering methodologies to design, engineer, execute, and maintain robotics machinery. This position is available across healthcare, information technology, nanotechnology, and 3D printing industries, among many others.
Prosthetics Engineer
- Salary: $83,537
The use of robotics is prevalent across the medical field. Prosthetics engineers use robot technology to design and develop user-friendly artificial limbs. The job duties require you to maintain and improve current robotics prosthetics devices.
Robotics Deployment Engineer
- Salary: $81,866
Robotics deployment engineers typically work with autonomous robotics technology where they maintain and deploy solutions to issues the robots are facing. This job requires you to work with hardware and software teams to identify robotics issues and provide efficient solutions.
Robotics Career Path
Your robotics career path depends on your educational qualifications and in-field experiences. Below are some common entry-level, mid-level, and senior robotics jobs you might find yourself in during your career as a robotics expert.
Entry-Level Robotics Jobs
- Robotics Technician – Robotics technicians aid engineers during the manufacturing and execution process. An Associate Degree in Robotics or a coding bootcamp certificate can qualify you for this position.
- Robotics Tool Engineer – Robotics tool engineers are responsible for working with senior engineers to develop and design machine manufacturing tools.
- Junior Robotics Engineer – Junior robotics engineers assist the senior team engineers with the design and execution process of robotic technology.
Mid-Level Robotics Jobs
- Robotics Mechanical Engineer – Mechanical engineers in the robotics field construct, design, and maintain the physical elements of robots. This position typically requires an undergraduate degree and one to two years of job experience.
- Robotics Engineer – Robotics engineers are responsible for the design, maintenance, and construction of software and hardware components for robotic technology.
- AI Robotics Engineer – AI robotics engineers use machine learning and data science to build autonomous robotics technologies.
Senior-Level Robotics Jobs
- Senior Robotics Engineer – Senior robotics engineers work with the software and hardware engineering teams to develop user-friendly, budget-friendly, and efficient robots.
- Senior Automation Design Engineer – Senior automation design engineers research, evaluate, and design prototypes of robotics technologies.
- Senior Robotics Scientist – Senior robotics scientists will typically need a doctorate or a master’s degree. They conduct research on new and existing technologies.
Robotics Certifications
Certifications are a great way for working professionals to increase their knowledge and abilities. Below are the top three robotics certifications you can get to enhance your candidacy and further your career. These certifications are all offered by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy.
Robotics Integration with Arduino (SheildBot)
If you want to enter the virtual reality and systems robotics professions, then this integration certification program is for you. It covers testbed, open-loop navigation, and camera integration with Arduino.
Fabrication Foundations with Hand Tools
This introductory certification program is best suited for those who want to learn about 3D printing technologies and materials. It teaches the fabrication of chassis, motor mounts, and 3D printing.
Software Foundations with Arduino (SheildBot)
This certification is perfect for aspiring AI, software, and autonomous robotics professionals. You will learn about testbed, sensing, open-loop navigation, camera navigation, and camera programming with Arduino.
Tips on How to Get a Job in Robotics
Getting a job in robotics isn’t easy, but there are a few things that might help you get on your way. Acquiring knowledge of different programming languages and AI technologies, as well as staying up to date on the latest trends, working on your communication skills, and practicing for your interviews will all help you land that dream job.
Master Programming Languages
The use of software programming languages such as C++, Python, and Java is highly prevalent across all robotics jobs. Mastering these languages is a must if you wish to land a job in this field and move up the engineering ladder.
Stay Updated
Robotics is an ever-growing field that requires adaptable and quick learners for its success. Not only will you need to stay updated on new developments in robotics, but you’ll also have to be able to showcase this knowledge during the hiring process. This will help you stand out amongst other candidates.
Learn Artificial Intelligence
AI, machine learning, neural networking, and deep learning are essential elements of autonomous and software robotics. If you are interested in landing a job in this field then you must acquire an understanding of AI technologies.
Highlight Your Interpersonal Skills
Technical capabilities alone won’t help you get your dream robotics job. You will need to display strong communication, problem-solving, analytical, and other soft skills to stand out and prove that you can work on a team.
Practice for Your Interview
Practice makes perfect. You will need to impress your hiring manager to get the job and the best way to do that is to practice your interview answers. This will help you perfectly tailor your answers to their questions and make sure you don’t crumble under pressure.
Should You Get a Job in Robotics in 2022?
Yes, you should get a job in robotics in 2022 if a rapidly evolving engineering-based job in an exciting industry sounds interesting to you. A job in robotics offers immense job task diversity and scope for career progression. You can venture into the healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, or business industries thanks to your passion for robotics.
Robotics Engineer FAQ
Can you become a robotics engineer without a degree?
Yes, you can become a robotics engineer without a degree. The standard industry requirement for this position is a bachelor’s degree, but you can get an associate degree or a coding bootcamp certification to kickstart your professional journey.
Is it hard to get into robotics?
Yes, it is hard to get into robotics because the field requires a candidate with extensive software, hardware, AI, and engineering skills. This can require a lengthy commitment to studying. However, know that acquiring relevant industry skills, soft skills, and a strong educational background will make the job searching process easier.
What does a robotics engineer do?
A robotics engineer is responsible for the design, prototyping, modeling, engineering, execution, and maintenance process of robotic technology.
What Skills do I need to become a robotics engineer?
You need mathematics, mechanical engineering, computer science, AI, electrical engineering, machine learning, programming, and analytical skills to become a robotics engineer.
