Robotics Engineers

Research, design, develop, or test robotic applications.

Most important skills

Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Monitoring
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making
Systems Analysis
Writing

Key knowledge

Engineering and Technology
Design
Computers and Electronics
Mechanical
Mathematics
English Language
Physics
Production and Processing

What the work involves

Supervise technologists, technicians, or other engineers.
Integrate robotics with peripherals, such as welders, controllers, or other equipment.
Provide technical support for robotic systems.
Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates.
Make system device lists or event timing charts.
Document robotic application development, maintenance, or changes.
Write algorithms or programming code for ad hoc robotic applications.
Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (50% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (33.3%)
On-the-job training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (26.7%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Robotics Engineers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 17-2199 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Low	Lower on contact with others than 77% of occupations compared	37% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 66% of occupations compared	30% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 63% of occupations compared	53% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	High	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 60% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Higher on time pressure than 52% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Higher on conflict situations than 55% of occupations compared	37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 80% of occupations compared	60% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 72% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions