Robotics Technician
This occupation's high structural score (65/100) reflects genuinely hands-on physical repair work: replacing a servomotor, diagnosing a fault with an oscilloscope, and physically reprogramming end-of-arm tooling all require direct physical access to the machine and real-time technical judgment.
We have not ingested real-world usage data for this occupation yet. We show a band only where genuine data exists, rather than estimate one.
What a robotics technician actually does
Robotics technicians build, install, test, and maintain the robots and automated production systems that run modern manufacturing lines: replacing circuit boards, sensors, and servomotors, troubleshooting faults via microprocessors and programmable logic controllers, and programming robot controllers and end-of-arm tooling to modify a robot's movements for a new task. Daily work includes running preventive and corrective maintenance schedules, testing components with oscilloscopes and voltmeters, and training production staff on safe, effective robot operation.
The work carries a real, direct irony worth naming honestly: this occupation exists specifically to keep the automation equipment that replaces other manufacturing jobs running, and increasingly, AI-driven predictive-maintenance software directs the technician's own workday, flagging which robot needs attention before it fails. Robotics technicians work primarily in manufacturing plants, automation-equipment vendors, and industrial-service contractors, and most positions require an associate's degree or postsecondary certificate in robotics, mechatronics, or electronics technology.
Why it reads this way
This occupation's high structural score (65/100) reflects genuinely hands-on physical repair work: replacing a servomotor, diagnosing a fault with an oscilloscope, and physically reprogramming end-of-arm tooling all require direct physical access to the machine and real-time technical judgment.
Real, current AI tools are already in active use, but pointed at scheduling and diagnostics rather than the physical repair itself: FANUC's Zero Down Time platform predicts gearbox and reducer failures weeks in advance from torque-curve analytics, and Siemens' Digital Twin Command software analyzes schedules and materials to prescribe maintenance timing and even schedule the technician's visit.
That's real, current automation augmenting the job, telling a technician what to fix and when, rather than performing the physical repair itself, a meaningfully different claim than replacing the role. No individual professional license is required for this occupation, and growth outlook is honestly modest (roughly 1.
1% through 2034, below average), reflecting this being a still-small, specialized field rather than one facing active AI-driven contraction; the flat growth and the physical, hands-on nature of the actual repair work are two different things worth disclosing separately rather than conflating.
Skills this role draws on
We don't yet have task-by-task time-share data for this occupation, so we can't show which specific tasks carry the exposure score above. This is the real skill set instead.
Typical salary range (USD)
$49,510–$115,700
Average: $73,900/yr
Range source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics / O*NET OnLine, 2025
Average source: O*NET OnLine 2025 wage data (Annual Median Wage) for Robotics Technicians (17-3024.01); min/max from BLS OEWS 2025 10th/90th percentile for the parent Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians category (17-3024)
Related careers
Head-to-head comparisons
Robotics Technician scores 65/100, reflecting genuinely hands-on physical repair work: replacing components, diagnosing faults, and reprogramming robots all require direct physical access and real-time technical judgment. Real, current AI tools (FANUC Zero Down Time, Siemens Digital Twin Command) already predict failures and prescribe maintenance timing, a real, current example of automation directing this technician's own workday, but that's scheduling and diagnostic augmentation rather than the physical repair itself. No individual license is required. Growth outlook is honestly modest (~1.1% through 2034), disclosed as reflecting a still-small, specialized field rather than active AI-driven contraction.
This is a researched judgment (checklist v1.2), not a statistical measurement — it sits alongside, not instead of, the structural exposure signal above. Next scheduled review: 2027-02-19.
Data sources & methodology
Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics / O*NET OnLine, 2025. Min/max figures represent the 10th–90th percentile annual wage range across the United States. Average figure sourced separately: O*NET OnLine 2025 wage data (Annual Median Wage) for Robotics Technicians (17-3024.01); min/max from BLS OEWS 2025 10th/90th percentile for the parent Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians category (17-3024).
Automation Risk Score: Based on O*NET occupational analysis (17-3024.01) evaluating task complexity, physical requirements, social intelligence, and environmental variability. Methodology based on research from Frey & Osborne (Oxford, 2017).
Growth projections: ~1.1% (2024-2034, below average, per BLS-linked Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists projection; still a small, specialized field), based on BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.