Resources/Job description templates/Robotics engineer
Robotics Engineer Job Description Template (Free, 2027)
A free robotics engineer job description template for robotics, mechatronics and automation roles: duties, requirements, ROS and hardware skills, and a pay range from government data. Copy, download as Word or print.
- $104,110median pay
- 6sections
- Freedownload
Free template
- Copy it, download it as a Word file or print it
- Pay range from government data
- Written by recruiters
Quick answer: A robotics engineer job description should say what kind of robot the person will work on (industrial arms, mobile robots, humanoids, drones, surgical systems), which part of the stack they own (mechanical, electrical, controls or software), the tools you use such as ROS, CAD and simulation, and the pay range. Robotics candidates judge the role by the hardware and the problem, so lead with both.
Use this template for robotics, mechatronics and automation engineering roles. Replace the brackets with your robot, stack and team details, and delete the lines that do not fit the part of the system you are hiring for.
Robotics engineer job description
About the role
[Company] is hiring a robotics engineer to [design, build and test / integrate and deploy] [type of robot or automated system] for [customers or use case]. You will own [mechanical design / electrical and controls / robot software] and work with [team] from prototype to production.
Location: [on site, hybrid or remote; most robotics roles need time in the lab]. Reports to: [title].
What you will do
- Design, build and test [robotic arms, mobile robots, end effectors, sensors or subsystems]
- Write and tune control, motion planning or perception software in [C++ / Python] using [ROS 2 or your framework]
- Model and validate designs in [CAD tool] and [simulation tool such as Gazebo or Isaac Sim]
- Integrate motors, sensors, cameras and embedded controllers into working systems
- Run experiments, log data and fix failures on real hardware
- Document designs and hand them off to manufacturing or field teams
- Follow safety standards for [industrial, collaborative, medical or other] robots
What you bring
- A bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, computer engineering, robotics or similar, or equal experience
- [2 or more] years building robots or automated systems, in industry, research or competitive robotics
- Strong skills in [C++, Python, CAD, controls, embedded systems; pick the ones that matter]
- Experience debugging hardware and software together
- Clear written communication and good lab habits
Nice to have
- Experience with ROS 2, motion planning or computer vision
- Machine learning for robotics, such as reinforcement learning or imitation learning
- Experience taking a robot from prototype to production
- A master's degree or PhD in robotics or a related field
Pay and benefits
Pay range: [$ to $] per year [plus equity or bonus]. [Benefits.]
How to apply
Apply at [link]. Send a link to a robot or project you built and tell us what you would do differently.
Free from Work Insiders. Edit it to fit your team.
What should you pay a robotics engineer?
BLS counts robotics engineers as mechanical engineers, who earned a median of $104,110 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent under $73,990 and the highest 10 percent over $164,340. Engineers hired mainly for electronics and controls are paid more, a $125,040 median for electrical and electronics engineers. Many states and cities now require a pay range in the job ad, so put one in.
Which title should you use: robotics engineer, mechatronics engineer or automation engineer?
Use robotics engineer when the person designs or programs robots. Automation engineer and controls engineer pull in candidates from factory automation and PLC work, which suits integration roles on a production line. Mechatronics engineer is common in Europe and in hardware heavy roles. Pick the title candidates in your market search for, and add the others to the job ad body so search still finds it.
Where do you find robotics engineers?
University robotics labs, competitive robotics alumni (FIRST, RoboCup), ROS community contributors and companies that build similar hardware are the richest pools. Our directory compares sourcing tools that search GitHub and research papers, and technical assessments for screening engineering skills.
Frequently asked questions
What does a robotics engineer do?
Designs, builds, programs and tests robots and automated systems, from the mechanical parts and electronics to the software that controls them.
What skills should a robotics engineer have?
Usually some mix of C++ and Python, ROS, CAD, controls, embedded systems and hands on hardware debugging. Most roles specialize in one part of the system.
How much should I pay a robotics engineer?
BLS counts robotics engineers as mechanical engineers, who earned a median of $104,110 in May 2025. Electronics and controls focused roles track the $125,040 median for electrical and electronics engineers. See robotics engineer salary.
Do robotics engineers need a master's degree?
Not always. A bachelor's degree is the typical entry level education, but research heavy roles in perception, motion planning or robot learning often ask for a master's or PhD.
Sources
Written by recruiters at Work Insiders. Updated November 4, 2026. How we make money.