Robot programmer: what the job involves, pay and jobs

What does a robot programmer do?

Robot programmers teach industrial robots their tasks: welding, painting, palletising, machine tending or assembly. They write and adjust robot programs, set up the paths and timing, and make sure the robot works safely with the rest of the cell.

Much of the work is in manufacturing and with system integrators, and offline programming in simulation is now common alongside teaching the robot on the shop floor.

Also advertised as: Robot cell programmer, PLC programmer, Robotic welding programmer.

A typical week

Writing and editing robot programs with a teach pendant or offline tools
Optimising paths and cycle times
Setting up safety zones and testing changes
Supporting production when something stops

Skills employers ask for

Programming at least one robot brand: FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa or Universal Robots
Offline programming and simulation (RoboGuide, RobotStudio)
PLCs and how the cell is controlled
Process knowledge, such as welding
Machine safety

How much do robot programmers earn?

Only 3 of the 77 open roles give pay today, which is too few to give a fair figure, so I've left it out rather than guess. You can see the roles that do show pay on the jobs board.

Who is hiring robot programmers?

The employers with the most open robot programmer roles today:

Where are the jobs?

The cities with the most open robot programmer roles, each with its own page of robotics jobs:

Los Angeles8 roles
Pune5 roles
Detroit3 roles
Cambridge, Canada3 roles
San Francisco Bay Area1 role
Austin1 role
Stuttgart1 role
Bengaluru1 role
Denver1 role
Chicago1 role

And by country:

United States43 roles
India15 roles
Canada10 roles
Italy4 roles
Germany1 role
Malaysia1 role
South Korea1 role
Spain1 role
United Kingdom1 role

What levels are open?

10 of the 77 roles say their level in the title. They split like this:

Entry-level roles are scarce across robotics, not only in this one. I looked at why, and what I’d suggest if you’re starting out, in this article on the entry-level gap.

How to become a robot programmer

Many robot programmers come from technician, welding or machine operator roles, and the robot makers' training courses are the most recognised qualification. I'd suggest starting with the brand most used by employers near you, since job adverts often ask for one by name.

If you’re early on, the robotics internships and entry-level and graduate roles are the places to start.

Open robot programmer jobs

The newest, one an employer:

Search the jobs board for “programmer”All Field Applications & Deployment roles

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Robot programmerwhat the job involves, pay and who’s hiring