107 OPEN
SALARIES · ROBOTICS ENGINEER
Robotics Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for robotics engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$195,000 – $245,000USD
§ 01
Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$145K
[ SENIOR ]
$195K
[ STAFF ]
$245K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$310K
§ 02
Top-paid open roles
- 01
Principle Roboticist, Robot Foundation ModelWayve·Sunnyvale, California USA$296K–$375K - 02Senior Robotics Software EngineerNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$184K–$357K
- 03
Staff Robotics Software Engineer - Mission AutonomyAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$260K–$345K - 04Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy with Security ClearanceAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, US$254K–$338K
- 05Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy JobsAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, US$254K–$338K
- 06Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy - 4946495007Anduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, US$254K–$338K
- 07Staff Robotics Engineer - Surface DominanceAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$253K–$336K
- 08
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Teleoperations ArchitectureAgility Robotics·Hybrid- Any Office (Fremont, CA, Salem, OR, or Pittsburgh, PA)$190K–$296K - 09Staff Robotics Engineer, LocalizationWayve·Sunnyvale, California USA$276K–$294K
- 10Staff Robotics EngineerWayve·Sunnyvale, California USA$276K–$294K
§ 03
Top employers hiring robotics engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | 38 | $249K |
| Wayve | 6 | $285K |
| NVIDIA | 3 | $253K |
| Agility Robotics | 3 | $187K |
| Blue Origin | 2 | — |
| Analog Devices | 2 | $130K |
| Chef Robotics | 2 | — |
| BOOZ, ALLEN & HAMILTON, INC. | 2 | — |
§ 04
Top cities hiring robotics engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa | 18 | $239K |
| Washington | 11 | $296K |
| Arlington | 8 | — |
| Sunnyvale | 5 | $285K |
| Boston | 4 | $222K |
| San Francisco | 4 | — |
| Quincy | 3 | $221K |
| Irvine | 3 | $249K |
§ 05
FAQ
- How much do robotics engineers make in the robotics industry?
- Senior robotics engineers in the robotics industry typically earn $195K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $245K and principal-level reach $310K. Numbers are median base salary across 187 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private robotics employers.
- Who is hiring the most robotics engineers right now?
- Anduril Industries (38 open roles), Wayve (6 open roles), and NVIDIA (3 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 107 open robotics engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most robotics engineer jobs located?
- The top robotics industry hubs for robotics engineer roles right now are Costa Mesa, Washington, and Arlington. Defense robotics tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do robotics engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense robotics programs at Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic, and defense primes require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial robotics roles at Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, 1X, Skydio, and Wayve generally do not. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — many sensor, autonomy, and unmanned-systems roles require it.
§ 06
Browse every robotics engineer role