7 of the Top Careers in Robotics with a Bachelor’s Degree

Robotics is a growing field, providing numerous career opportunities for people who want to spend their days working with machines that perform or mimic human actions. Since robotics is such a broad field, you may wonder about your options. Well, wonder no more. Here are some of the top careers in robotics for people with a bachelor’s degree.

Robotics Engineer

If you’re looking for a robotics career that involves planning, building, and maintaining robots, robotic engineering may be a good choice for you. In this type of position, you may be responsible for deciding how robots will detect different things, as well as deciding how they will function in certain situations.

Robotics engineers are a smaller, more specialized subset of mechanical engineers.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that, as of May 2021, the median pay for mechanical engineers is $95,300 per year.

Industrial Robot Design

Technically, designing robots falls under the role of a robotics engineer. However, some robotics engineers specialize in the creation and/or maintenance of robots used during the manufacturing process. If this is of interest to you, you may want to spend your career in the industrial sector.

Industrial robots are typically automated and used to manufacture various products and goods. The automobile industry is perhaps one of the best examples of companies that rely on robotics engineers who specialize in industrial robotic design.

Medical Robotics

Another specialty option for robotics engineers is to plan, build, and maintain medical robots. These robots are typically used during surgical procedures, allowing surgeons to help patients treat their health issues in a less invasive way. They can do this due to the medical robotic equipment often requiring smaller incisions than the larger incisions that would typically be required to insert a surgeon’s hand and the necessary surgical equipment.

The concept of medical robotics also makes it possible for surgeons to move surgical instruments in a more precise way. Many are even equipped with cameras that enable medical professionals to get a better picture of what is going on inside a patient’s body or to get a closer look at a problem area that exists internally.

Robotics Technician

Someone working in a robotics technician position uses various types of technology to install, inspect, test, operate, maintain, and repair different robotic equipment. This equipment can range from automated machines to drones to robotics used at unmanned worksites, such as those involved in deep-ocean exploration and off-shore oil drilling.

The BLS includes robotic technicians with electro-mechanical and mechatronic technologists and technicians and reports that their median pay as of May 2021 is $60,360 per year.

Robotics Specialist

A robotics specialist works with automation engineers and programmers to develop robotic equipment and devices. This may involve assigning other team members to specific roles, along with organizing and monitoring the development process. A robotics specialist might also be responsible for documenting the status of the robotics development and checking the robotic device for quality before it is finalized.

While the BLS does not provide the median pay for a robotics specialist, Glassdoor indicates that the average pay for someone in this role is $61,237 per year.

Robotics Software Developer

Maybe you have an interest in robotics and software development. You can combine both and enjoy a rewarding career as a robotics software developer, also sometimes referred to as a robotics software engineer. This top robotics career involves developing, testing, or improving software that controls robotic devices. It can also include working on software aimed at robotics automation.

ZipRecruiter reports that the average national salary for a robotics software engineer is $122,386 per year.

Computer and Information Research Scientist

Another career option is to take your bachelor’s degree in robotics and become a computer and information research scientist. In this role, you could be involved in programming computers for robot automation, and also testing their software systems to ensure that they operate effectively. You might even use machine learning to develop robots that can make their own decisions, creating a more efficient process.

The BLS indicates that the median annual pay for computer and information research scientists is $131,490 per year as of May 2021.

Do You Still Need Your Bachelor’s Degree in Robotics?

If you’ve not yet earned your degree, Saint Leo University offers a bachelor’s degree in robotics and artificial intelligence. This 120-credit hour program prepares students for an entry-level career in robotics and includes both hands-on learning activities and instructional courses in system design, robot controllers, and more.

You can request more information about the program here or, if you’re ready to get started, you can also apply today. We look forward to helping you achieve your academic goals.