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Robotics Engineers

Robotics Engineers score 59 out of 100, which is elevated exposure to AI. That ranks #100 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 24 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 9 on its own and 10 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 6 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

59/ 100
Elevated
Rank
#100of 923 jobs
US workers
154,070for Engineers, All Other
Median pay
$122,930a year
In real AI use
6 of 24tasks, April–May 2026

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

  • AI can speed this up on its own: 9 (38%)
  • AI can speed this up with extra software: 10 (42%)
  • Little or no AI speed-up: 5 (21%)
  • Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Debug robotics programs.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Design robotic systems, such as automatic vehicle control, autonomous vehicles, advanced displays, advanced sensing, robotic platforms, computer vision, or telematics systems.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Design software to control robotic systems for applications, such as military defense or manufacturing.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Conduct research into the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of robotic mechanisms, components, or systems, such as planetary rovers, multiple mobile robots, reconfigurable robots, or man-machine interactions.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Document robotic application development, maintenance, or changes.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Write algorithms or programming code for ad hoc robotic applications.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Make system device lists or event timing charts.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Process or interpret signals or sensor data.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Provide technical support for robotic systems.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Design end-of-arm tooling.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Conduct research on robotic technology to create new robotic systems or system capabilities.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Evaluate robotic systems or prototypes.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Design automated robotic systems to increase production volume or precision in high-throughput operations, such as automated ribonucleic acid (RNA) analysis or sorting, moving, or stacking production materials.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Design or program robotics systems for environmental clean-up applications to minimize human exposure to toxic or hazardous materials or to improve the quality or speed of clean-up operations.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
  • Plan mobile robot paths and teach path plans to robots.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
  • Design robotics applications for manufacturers of green products, such as wind turbines or solar panels, to increase production time, eliminate waste, or reduce costs.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
  • Automate assays on laboratory robotics.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
  • Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Supervise technologists, technicians, or other engineers.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Investigate mechanical failures or unexpected maintenance problems.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Integrate robotics with peripherals, such as welders, controllers, or other equipment.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Install, calibrate, operate, or maintain robots.Little or no AI speed-up · core task

Similar jobs, lower exposure

Related occupations that score at least 10 points lower.

Other jobs in this field

Architecture and Engineering occupations close to this one.

Questions about robotics engineers and AI

Will AI replace robotics engineers?

Not entirely. Parts of the job are likely to change as AI takes over routine tasks. Robotics Engineers score 59 out of 100 (elevated exposure), #100 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 19 of the job's 24 tasks, 9 of them on its own, while 5 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which robotics engineers tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates"; "Debug robotics programs"; "Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters".

Which robotics engineers tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications"; "Supervise technologists, technicians, or other engineers"; "Investigate mechanical failures or unexpected maintenance problems".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 6 of the 24 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as robotics engineers, and what do they earn?

About 154,070 people in the US (figure for Engineers, All Other), with median pay of $122,930 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.

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