# Will AI replace robotics engineers? Updated October 2026 Robotics engineers score 51 out of 100 for AI exposure. AI helps with 73% of their task time, and they stay in charge. AI can do another 13%. 14% needs a person. - **13%** AI can do it - **73%** AI helps - **14%** Needs a person High exposure Higher than 77% of the 923 jobs we scored. ## Task by task We graded 24 tasks, most exposed first. AI can do 3 of them, helps with 18 and leaves 3 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Document robotic application development, maintenance, or changes. Drafting documentation and change logs is routine text work. | 75% AI can do it | | Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters. Scheduled scripts can back up programs; person verifies completion. | 70% AI can do it | | Make system device lists or event timing charts. Device lists and timing charts generated from existing specs. | 70% AI can do it | | Write algorithms or programming code for ad hoc robotic applications. Code assistants draft robot code; engineers test on hardware. | 65% AI helps | | Debug robotics programs. Coding assistants find bugs fast; hardware testing still needs people. | 62% AI helps | ## How robotics engineers compare All jobs (923) Architecture and engineering (56) The dark line is **robotics engineers, at 51**. Each dot is a score, and darker dots mean more jobs share it. The short marks are the averages, 37 for all jobs and 47 for architecture and engineering. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $122,930 a year, May 2025 People employed 19,259 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +3.7% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Calibrate and maintain robots on the production floor - Debug robot control code on physical hardware in C++ - Model robot kinematics in MATLAB and SolidWorks - Integrate PLCs, welders, and controllers with robot cells - Validate AI-drafted control software on Linux test rigs - Investigate mechanical failures through physical inspection ## Safer roles nearby 5 related jobs with lower scores. - [Mechatronics engineers48 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/mechatronics-engineers/) - [Microsystems engineers50 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/microsystems-engineers/) - [Mechanical engineers47 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/mechanical-engineers/) - [Electrical engineers47 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/electrical-engineers/) - [Robotics technicians34 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/robotics-technicians/) ## Questions about robotics engineers and AI Will robotics engineers be replaced by AI? Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly writing development documentation and change logs and scripting robot program backups. The hands-on work stays with engineers, who still install, calibrate, and test machines on the floor and check that AI-drafted code runs safely on real hardware. Which robotics engineering tasks is AI taking over? Documentation, backups, and device lists lead the change. Writing development documentation and change logs scores 75 on exposure, and backing up robot programs scores 70, since scheduled scripts handle both and a person only confirms completion. Device lists and event timing charts also score 70 because they are generated from existing specifications. Which robotics engineering tasks stay human? Physical work stays with engineers. Installing, calibrating, operating, and maintaining robots scores just 6 on exposure because skilled hands must work on the machine. Investigating mechanical failures scores 18 because failed hardware needs physical inspection, and supervising technicians scores 10 because mentoring people is core human work. How can robotics engineers stay valuable as AI changes the job? Stay close to the hardware loop. Test every AI-drafted C++ or Python control routine on a physical robot and record results in Git. Calibrate robots and integrate PLCs and welders, since those tasks score low on exposure. Keep MATLAB and SolidWorks models current so you can explain why a design works. ## Related jobs - [Electronics engineers53 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/electronics-engineers/) - [Computer hardware engineers51 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/computer-hardware-engineers/) - [Manufacturing engineers52 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/manufacturing-engineers/) - [Automotive engineers56 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/automotive-engineers/) ## Next steps for robotics engineers - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV to see which tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) - ### Estimate team savings The score is per person. Add headcount and salary to see the hours AI can take on in a team of robotics engineers, and what they cost. [Estimate what AI saves a team of robotics engineers](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/team-ai-audit/?role=robotics-engineers) [Work out the return on automation](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-savings-calculator/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Roustabouts score lowest, at 6.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Pediatric surgeons earn a median $559,030 and score 29.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Roustabouts need little prior training and score 6.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**AI helps with 98% of the task time for health informatics specialists.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we score, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 job groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Sources and licences Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.