Careers in Robotics: Education, Courses, Top Universities, Job Opportunities & Salaries

When the Hollywood sci-fi (and futuristic) movies like RoboCop (1987) & I, Robot (2004), and even our Desi sci-fi movie Robot (2010) came out, the concept of “Robotics” was majorly considered to be a science-fiction and a matter of distant future. But, in today’s age of automation and machine intelligence, robotics is a well-established scientific fact. Although cyborgs (RoboCop or Terminator) are still very things of the future, robots like TARS & CASE (Interstellar) are not. At present, the world is losing human jobs to robots due to radical technological advancements. So, how about careers in robotics or robotics engineering?

Though the scenes depicted in those sci-fi movies are still a thing of the future, the field of robotics presents various exciting career opportunities at the present time. In this post, we will look at the basic concepts of robotics, education & training, and job opportunities in the field of robotics.

Career Scopes in Robotics

Careers in Robotics

What is Robotics?

Robotics is an interdisciplinary and dynamic branch within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field that primarily involves mechanical engineering, electrical-electronics engineering, and computer science. The field of robotics deals with the research, design, manufacturing, operations, software development, information processing and application of robots in various industrial and commercial processes. The ultimate objective of robotics is to build machines that can substitute humans.

The applications of robotics can be found in nuclear science, ocean-exploration, space-exploration, mining, medicine (low-invasive surgeries, high-throughput research & diagnostics), agriculture, manufacturing industry, military warfare, hazardous situations like defusing bombs, finding survivors in unstable ruins, deep-sea vessels or shipwrecks etc., and even in the household.

Cyborgs in Terminator 2 & RoboCop

Careers in Robotics

Robots in I, Robot, Interstellar & Real Steel

You might like to read: Difference between Cyborg and Robot

What to Study in High School for a Career in Robotics?

Mathematics is a must for anyone who wants to pursue a career in robotics. One must have a very good understanding of Algebra and Geometry. Like any other engineering field, Physics is also essential. The concepts of mechanics, energy, circuits, and material science are very critical. Apart from Maths and Physics, other useful subjects at high school level would be Computer Science, Programming, ICT, Design, Electronics etc.

how to make a career in robotics

For further reading: NASA Career Corner – Robotics

Ideal Undergraduate Courses for Pursuing a Career in Robotics

Most Popular Paths

· Mechanical Engineering (Mechanics, Mechatronics, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Design, Control & Automation, Robotics)

· Electrical & Electronics Engineering (Electronics, Embedded Systems, low-level Programming, Control Systems, Circuit Theory, Signal Processing)

· Computer Science and Engineering (Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, HCI, high-level Programming)

Alternative Paths

· Liberal Arts with major in Mathematics, Physics, Psychology & Cognitive Science, Sociology & Social Psychology

· Biomedical Engineering (Bio-Mechanics)

Robotics Career Path

Most Popular Institutes for Robotics in India

  • IIT (Kanpur, Mumbai, Madras, Delhi, Kharagpur, Allahabad)
  • The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani
  • University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Mumbai/Dehradun
  • Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
  • Appin Technology Lab, Mumbai/Bangalore/Pune
  • PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore
  • Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  • Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science
  • Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala
  • University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
  • Lord Jagannath College of Engineering and Technology, Kanyakumari
  • Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology, Chandigarh

Know more about the Top Colleges and Career Opportunities in Robotics in India.

Top Foreign Universities Offering Graduate Programs in Robotics

USA

Carnegie Mellon University

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Georgia Institute of Technology

University of California – Berkeley

Oregon State University

Johns Hopkins University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of Southern California

University of Pennsylvania

University of Maryland

University of Texas – Austin

Colorado School of Mines

University of Utah

University of Washington – Seattle

University of Massachusetts – Amherst

Washington University in St. Louis

Princeton University

Stanford University

Columbia University

University of Minnesota

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

California Institute of Technology

Ohio State University

Cornell University

Florida A&M University

Europe

TU Munich

ETH Zurich

TU Dortmund

EPFL Lausanne

TU Delft

KU Leuven

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

RWTH Aachen University

University of Oxford

FH University of Applied Sciences

Imperial College London

University College London

University of Bristol

King’s College London

University of Sheffield

Plymouth University

UWE Bristol

Top Universities for Studying Robotics
Carleton University (Canada) provides solid exposure to Robotics at the Undergraduate level

Canada

University of Toronto

McGill University

University of Alberta

University of British Columbia

Ryerson University

Singapore

National University of Singapore

Nanyang Technological University

Australia

University of New South Wales

University of Queensland

Macquarie University

Queensland University of Technology

RMIT University

New Zealand

Massey University

University of Canterbury

University of Auckland

Best Online Courses in Robotics (to improve your chances of Undergraduate & Graduate Admissions and Jobs)

Introduction to Robotics

Robotics Programming & Math for kids, beginners: Step by Step

Robotics: Estimation and Learning

Control of Mobile Robots

Fundamentals in Robot C and VEX Robotics

Robotics: Aerial Robotics (Drones)

Robotics: Perception

Machine Learning

Analog Electronics – Robotics, learn by building

Digital Electronics: Robotics, learn by building module II

Intelligent Machining

Neural Networks for Machine Learning

Building Arduino robots and devices

Black Algo Trading: Build Your Trading Robot

Learn MQL5: Build an 8-Currency Hedging Robot (MetaTrader 5)

Required Skills for Pursuing a Career in Robotics

·         Analytical Thinking

·         Problem Solving

·         Creativity

·         Mechanical & Numerical Skills

·         Attention to detail

Common Job Tasks of a Robotics Engineer

·         Building, configuring, and testing robots

·         Programming software systems to control the robotic systems

·         Researching design, operation, and performance of the robotic mechanisms and systems

·         Analysing and evaluating the prototype robots

·         Reading and interpreting schematics

Employment Outlook & Job Opportunities in Robotics

Around the globe, several humans are on the verge of losing jobs to robots. As per the article on Fortune, 40% of total jobs are likely to go to the robots in the US. However, according to CEBR, there is a positive relationship between robotics automation and economic development. In the majority of cases, robotic automation is in place to complement the human labour. As per David Whitaker, Managing Economist at Cebr,  “Robots are about productivity, they don’t do creativity very well, and they don’t do things that involve failure, which is at the core of any design process.”  Robots are taking away mundane, repetitive and hazardous jobs. The truth is that robotic automation allows humans to focus on more valuable tasks.

Careers and Jobs in Robotics

Automation and robots won’t create new jobs, but it will expand the economy, increase productivity, and will create better jobs, and thus better for the whole mankind. Increasing automation is likely to increase workers’ wages and generate new consumer spending. Of course, humans will lose jobs if they are not skilled and creative enough. But, humans who can do complex analysis and/or social interactions with customers and co-workers will be in greater demand in the workforce.

No doubt, humans who can deal with robotics will be in great demand around the world. The scenario is not going to be very different in India too. The use of robotics is expected to grow rapidly in the coming times in India. As per CareerMuse, from production line robots to experimental robotics and several other industries, the future has a lot of career opportunities for robotics engineers and related professionals.

Related Posts: 

6 Hot AI Automation Technologies Destroying And Creating Jobs

Beginners Guide to Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), NLP, Deep Learning, Big Data Analytics and Blockchain

Robotics Salaries

In the US, the median annual salary is USD 83, 590 (mechanical background), USD 107, 830 (aerospace background) and USD 98, 270 (electrical-electronics background) – data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Graduates with a background in artificial intelligence and machine learning can expect to earn more. A robotics engineer can expect to earn INR 3 – 6 lakhs per annum (PayScale and CareerMuse) in India, depending on qualification and skill set.

Robotcs Jobs and Salaries

When it comes to the number of multipurpose industrial robots per 1, 000 persons employed in the manufacturing industry, India is far behind other countries like South Korea, Japan, and Germany. But, it’s just a matter of time to catch up with other countries. It will surely catch up, the only question is when.

Career and Job Opportunities in Robotics
Robots in the Automobile Manufacturing Unit in India

Do you have any questions about how to build a career in Robotics, or if Robotics is the right career for you? Need assistance with college shortlisting or applications? Looking at to improve your job opportunities? Tell us in the comments below. If someone you know is interested in a career in robotics, please share this post. Thanks.

Key Sources: Robotiq, IndiaMirror, LiveMint, Shiksha, Sokanu, GradSchoolHub, Forbes, Wikipedia, BusinessInsider, PayScale, CareerMuse, HTcampus.

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