Robotics Technicians
Also called Automation Technician, Electrical and Instrumentation Technician (E and I Technician), Instrument Specialist, or Process Control Technician
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Robotics Technicians do
When the robot arm on a factory line stops moving, you are the person who finds out why and gets it running again.
Robotics technicians build, install, test, and fix the machines that do repetitive work in factories, labs, and warehouses. That means robot arms, conveyor belts that carry parts along, grippers and tools bolted to the end of an arm, and the sensors and small computers that tell it all what to do. Some days you assemble and wire new equipment. Other days you hunt down a fault in a circuit board or a motor.
The work is part electronics, part mechanics, part software. You read wiring diagrams and manuals, test parts with meters and oscilloscopes, handheld and benchtop tools that measure electricity and show how signals behave, swap out failed pieces, and adjust the robot's programmed movements so it runs accurately again. You also keep service records, so problems can be traced later.
A day in the life
You start by checking email and the maintenance list, then talk with operators about a machine that jammed overnight. You put on safety glasses and whatever gear the site requires, lock the machine out so it cannot start while your hands are inside, and begin tracing the problem. A sensor is reading wrong, so you test the circuit, replace the part, and adjust the robot's movement until the motion is smooth again. You log the repair. After lunch you help a coworker install a new conveyor and run wires between controllers. Most of your day is indoors and climate controlled, some of it quiet and focused on your own, some of it shoulder to shoulder with a team.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like taking things apart to find out why they stopped working
- ✓Enjoy both electronics and hands-on mechanical work
- ✓Keep careful records and notice small details
- ✓Can stay calm when a line is down and people are waiting
- ✓Want a technical job without a four-year degree
You might not like it if you…
- –Dislike being interrupted by urgent breakdowns
- –Would rather design new products than maintain existing equipment
- –Find safety rules, lockout steps, and paperwork tedious
- –Want a job with little screen time or no programming at all
How people get in
- 1Take math, physics, electronics, computer, or shop classes in high school, and try building or fixing things on your own.
- 2Enroll in a two-year program in electromechanical, electrical, instrumentation (the sensors and measuring devices that monitor machines), or engineering technology; an associate's degree is the typical way in.
- 3Get hands-on practice through a school lab, a co-op (a work placement arranged through your school, often paid), or an internship at a manufacturer.
- 4Learn the basics of programmable controllers (the industrial computers that run a machine's step-by-step sequence) and how to read wiring and mechanical diagrams.
- 5Apply for entry-level technician roles, which may be posted as automation technician or process control technician, and expect to learn a lot from experienced technicians on the job.
- 6Keep adding skills over time, since new robots and equipment come with new systems to learn.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
Official task list
Robotics Technicians build, install, test, or maintain robotic equipment or related automated production systems. (O*NET)
- Make repairs to robots or peripheral equipment, such as replacement of defective circuit boards, sensors, controllers, encoders, or servomotors.
- Troubleshoot robotic systems, using knowledge of microprocessors, programmable controllers, electronics, circuit analysis, mechanics, sensor or feedback systems, hydraulics, or pneumatics.
- Install, program, or repair programmable controllers, robot controllers, end-of-arm tools, or conveyors.
- Maintain service records of robotic equipment or automated production systems.
- Modify computer-controlled robot movements.
- Perform preventive or corrective maintenance on robotic systems or components.
- Align, fit, or assemble components, using hand tools, power tools, fixtures, templates, or microscopes.
- Attach wires between controllers.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Equipment Maintenance
- Active Listening
What you'll need to know
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Design
- Mathematics
How much Robotics Technicians make
The median pay for Robotics Technicians in the U.S. is $73,900 a year ($35.53 an hour). Most earn between $47,840 and $109,890. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in New Mexico ($119,320) and lowest in Indiana ($47,440).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,660 | 70 |
| Alaska | $80,290 | 40 |
| Arizona | $80,930 | 120 |
| California | $81,550 | 1,850 |
| Colorado | $74,730 | 570 |
| Connecticut | $81,860 | 140 |
| Florida | $75,450 | 500 |
| Georgia | $68,720 | 170 |
| Idaho | $70,830 | 120 |
| Illinois | $79,400 | 250 |
| Indiana | $47,440 | 290 |
| Iowa | $73,010 | 180 |
| Kentucky | $65,270 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $75,410 | 120 |
| Maine | $82,510 | — |
| Maryland | $75,330 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $73,630 | 920 |
| Michigan | $62,460 | 850 |
| Minnesota | $61,670 | 400 |
| Mississippi | $71,420 | 70 |
| Missouri | $65,360 | 230 |
| Montana | $77,340 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $72,800 | 130 |
| Nevada | $82,010 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $75,780 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $60,040 | 200 |
| New Mexico | $119,320 | 670 |
| New York | $68,010 | 410 |
| North Carolina | $63,330 | 800 |
| North Dakota | $82,820 | 90 |
| Ohio | $73,050 | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $65,100 | 140 |
| Oregon | $67,140 | 160 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,710 | 650 |
| South Carolina | $67,610 | 270 |
| Tennessee | $64,720 | 190 |
| Texas | $54,460 | 1,800 |
| Virginia | $74,880 | 570 |
| Washington | $81,220 | 570 |
| Wisconsin | $76,290 | 580 |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology / Technician 462 colleges
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians 261 colleges
- Mechanical / Mechanical Engineering Technology / Technician 247 colleges
- Electromechanical / Electromechanical Engineering Technology / Technician 159 colleges
- Instrumentation Technology / Technician 95 colleges
- Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians, Other 100 colleges
- Automation Engineer Technology / Technician 122 colleges
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology / Technician 68 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 17-3024.01, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 17-3024. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.