How to Start a Career in Robotics: Guide for Students & New Graduates

James Dam •

11 min read • Last updated January 22, 2026

If you’re studying engineering, computer science, or a related field and wondering how to break into robotics — this guide is for you.

We analyzed 600 entry-level and internship positions posted between November 2025 and January 2026 to answer the questions students actually ask: What skills do employers want? Which companies are hiring? What does the pay look like? And how do you stand out when you don’t have years of experience?

This isn’t generic career advice. It’s what the job market is telling us right now.

The Reality: Internships Are Your Entry Point

Here’s the number that matters most: of the 600 early-career positions we analyzed, 507 were internships and only 93 were entry-level roles.

That’s an 85/15 split.

This isn’t a data quirk — it reflects how robotics companies actually hire. The industry has a relatively small talent pool with specialized skills. Companies use internships as extended interviews, evaluating candidates over months rather than hours. The path to a full-time offer almost always runs through an internship first.

Given that 85% of early-career roles are internships, students benefit from applying early and broadly.

If you’re a new graduate without internship experience, you’re competing for a very small pool of entry-level roles. It’s not impossible, but it’s harder. Strong personal projects and demonstrated skills become even more critical.

“No one cares how good a student you were. The only thing that matters is whether or not you can add real value. Convince them that you’re willing to sacrifice, who’s willing to do the dirty work, who’s ready to learn.”

— Head of Technical Department, automation company with 7+ years experience designing control systems and hiring PLC programmers Source

Skills Employers Actually Want

We extracted the skills mentioned across all 600 positions. The pattern is clear: software skills dominate.

Top 10 Skills in Entry-Level & Internship Postings

Python and C/C++ are table stakes — together they appear in the majority of postings. If you’re not comfortable in both, that’s your first priority.

Beyond the core languages, skills cluster into a few categories:

AI/ML Stack: Machine Learning (27%), Computer Vision (20%), PyTorch (16%), AI (10%). If you’re targeting perception, autonomy, or research roles, this is your territory.

Systems & Hardware: Embedded Systems (20%), C (20%), Electrical Design (18%), Sensors & Instrumentation (16%), Microcontrollers (12%). Essential for roles closer to the hardware.

Industrial Automation: PLC Programming (12%), HMI/SCADA (10%), Industrial Robotics (12%). The bread-and-butter of manufacturing automation (often overlooked by students chasing autonomous vehicles).

Professional Tools: Linux (13%), Git (13%), MATLAB (10%), CAD (12%). The unglamorous fundamentals that signal you can work in a professional environment.

“As robotics companies scale, a lot of the demand is on the software side, not as much on the hardware side. Everyone needs good integration with customers’ systems. The Web back end, user interfaces, data analyses, computer vision — these skills are in the most demand right now.”

— Andra Keay, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Robotics Source

The Foundational Checklist

“Regardless of your area of interest, there are some foundational skills that every robotics engineer is expected to have a solid grasp on: C++/Python programming, working knowledge of ROS, working knowledge of at least one simulator (Gazebo, PyBullet, Isaac Gym, etc.), understanding of coordinate frames/transformations, kinematics, and dynamics of multi-body systems, basics of optimization, linear algebra, statistics and probability.”

— Ardalan Tajbakhsh, Robotics Engineer, 4+ years experience in robotics and ASIC software engineering Source

If you’re missing items on that list, you now know what to study.

Where the Jobs Are

Industries

Students often fixate on autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots. The data tells a different story.

Industrial Manufacturing leads. These are the companies building factory automation, robotic arms, and production lines. Less glamorous than self-driving cars, but more job openings and often faster paths to hands-on responsibility.

Research & Academia is substantial at 14%. If you’re considering graduate school or have research ambitions, there’s real demand. Research Scientist is actually the #1 role title in our dataset.

Autonomous vehicles are significant but not dominant. At 15%, it’s a major sector — but not the majority students sometimes assume.

Geography

Let’s be direct: the United States accounts for 56% of all positions, and California alone represents 20%.

Top US States:

The Bay Area and Los Angeles are the densest hubs. But the Midwest — particularly Michigan — remains strong for automotive and industrial automation. Massachusetts (Boston area) has a concentration of research and healthcare robotics. Texas is growing, especially around Austin and Houston.

Top International Locations:

If you’re open to international opportunities, Western Europe and Singapore have real markets. Germany in particular has deep industrial automation roots.

The relocation question: Be realistic about geography. If you’re targeting the highest concentration of opportunities, California is the center. But it’s also the most competitive and expensive. States like Michigan, Texas, and North Carolina offer strong opportunities with lower barriers.

Roles You Can Target

There isn’t one “robotics job.” The field spans research to field service, software to mechanical hardware. Here’s how entry-level positions break down:

Research Scientist leading at 18% is notable. This reflects strong demand from R&D-heavy companies (NVIDIA, Toyota Research Institute) and academic institutions. If you’re pursuing a PhD or have research experience, there’s a clear pathway.

The generalist “Robotics Engineer” at 16% is the classic entry point — you’ll touch multiple systems and learn broadly before specializing.

Technician roles (6%) are worth highlighting for students without 4-year engineering degrees.

“Technical schools can provide focused training and certifications that are relevant to specific roles within robotics and automation. They offer practical training in specific areas like programming, electronics, or mechanics, which can be valuable for positions in robotics.”

— Christelle Keefer, Global Business Development Manager for General Industries (Education Focus), ABB Source

Choose your direction based on your background and interests:

• Software-heavy: ML Engineer, Robotics Software Engineer, Motion Planning
• Hardware-heavy: Embedded Systems, Electrical, Mechanical
• Research track: Research Scientist (often requires graduate degree)
• Applied/Industrial: Controls, Automation, Technician

Who’s Hiring Right Now

These companies have active internship and entry-level positions:

A few things stand out:

Big tech is accessible. NVIDIA, Meta, and Amazon aren’t closed doors for students. They have structured internship programs and hire at scale.

Automotive is a major employer. Toyota Research Institute, GM, Scania, BMW, Magna — traditional automotive companies are investing heavily in robotics and autonomy.

Industrial giants are hiring. ABB and Rockwell Automation might not have the name recognition of Tesla, but they hire consistently and offer real engineering work.

Browse Open Positions for Students & New Graduates

What Entry-Level & Internships Actually Pay

Compensation in robotics is competitive with other engineering fields.

Software-focused roles typically command a premium — positions emphasizing ML, perception, planning, or software infrastructure generally pay more than hardware-centric roles like mechanical design, electronics, or field engineering

The $60K-$113K range reflects real variation — entry-level at a Bay Area autonomous vehicle company will pay differently than a manufacturing automation role in the Midwest. Location, company size, and specialization all factor in.

Don’t over-optimize for Year 1 salary. The variance in starting salaries matters less than trajectory. A role with better learning opportunities, stronger mentorship, or more responsibility can easily outpace a higher-paying but slower-growth alternative within a few years.

For detailed salary breakdowns by role, location, and experience level, see our complete salary guide.

Standing Out: Portfolio, Resume, Interview

You don’t need to be exceptional to land an entry-level role. You need to demonstrate that you can work professionally, learn quickly, and add value. Here’s how.

Portfolio: Quality Over Quantity

“Many candidates show 50 small projects, but interviewers care about depth, documentation, and impact. It’s better to show 3 well-explained robotics projects with clear communication, tests, and documentation than 30 unfinished experiments.”

— Robotisim, robotics education platform Source

For each project you showcase, make clear:

• The problem you were solving
• Your approach and key decisions
• The outcome — quantified where possible
• What you learned or would do differently

A web-based portfolio (GitHub, personal site) is strongly preferred. According to LinkedIn’s hiring research, many recruiters specifically look for “web-based portfolio that demonstrates previous work in robotics” as a preferred qualification.

Resume: Quantify and Clarify

Vague accomplishments don’t register. At competitive companies:

“Candidates who highlight concrete impact — such as system latency reduction, model accuracy improvements, or simulation runtime scaling — tend to advance. Your resume must demonstrate robust fundamentals in C++ or Python, since these languages power the majority of Waymo’s perception and planning stacks.”

— Waymo Software Engineer Interview Guide Source

Instead of: “Worked on computer vision for robot navigation”

Write: “Improved object detection accuracy from 84% to 91% by implementing data augmentation pipeline”

If you worked on team projects (which you probably did), be specific about YOUR contribution. Don’t say “we built a robot arm.” Say “designed the inverse kinematics solver” or “implemented the ROS control interface.”

Interview: Show Professional Readiness

Expect to walk through your projects in detail. Interviewers aren’t just checking technical knowledge — they’re evaluating whether you think and communicate like someone who can work on a team.

Demonstrating professional software practices — version control workflows, testing approaches, documentation habits. That signals readiness. As one robotics education platform notes: “If you want to stand out in interviews, walk through your version control workflow or your CI/CD pipeline setup. Many candidates skip this but it’s what differentiates professionals from hobbyists.”

Finally, be prepared to discuss hands-on and field work positively. Entry-level often means physical work — wiring panels, field installations, on-site troubleshooting.

“When I was hired for the first time as an automation engineer, I was working in the hardest conditions for about eight months — wiring control panels that had been installed 100 feet above the ground on the cranes to cabling in factory basements. Now that I look back, those days were some of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had… When you’re asked to do this type of hard work, don’t be lazy. Think of it as a learning experience that will lead you to become a serious and professional elite automation engineer.”

— Head of Technical Department, automation company Source

Your Timeline: What to Do When

Career preparation isn’t a senior-year activity. Here’s a realistic timeline.

Freshman / Sophomore Year

Goal: Build foundations

• Get comfortable with Python and C++. Take courses, work through tutorials, build small projects.
• Join a robotics team, lab, or club. Hands-on experience beats coursework.
• Start a portfolio — even simple projects count. Document as you go.
• Explore the field broadly. You don’t need to specialize yet.

Junior Year

Goal: Specialize and get experience

• Target your first internship. Apply broadly — 20+ applications is normal.
• Deepen skills in your area of interest (ML/perception, embedded, controls, etc.)
• Take on a substantial project you can talk about in interviews.
• Learn ROS if you haven’t already.
• Familiarize yourself with at least one simulator (Gazebo, PyBullet, Isaac Gym).

Senior Year

Goal: Convert to full-time

• Secure a second internship or co-op if possible — ideally at a company you’d want to work for full-time.
• Refine your portfolio. Ensure your best 2-3 projects are well-documented and presentable.
• Start full-time applications early (fall semester for spring graduation).
• Use internship networks — many offers come from return offers or referrals.

New Graduate / Career Changer

Goal: Demonstrate capability fast

If you’re graduating without internship experience, or transitioning from another field:

• Personal projects are your proof of competence. Build 2-3 substantial projects that demonstrate relevant skills.
• Contribute to open-source robotics projects (ROS packages, simulation tools) for credibility and networking.
• Consider technician or field service roles as entry points — they’re more accessible and provide real experience.
• Apply broadly, including to smaller companies and system integrators who may be more flexible on experience requirements.

Start Your Search

Browse all internships →

Browse entry-level positions →

Go Deeper

• Robotics Salary Guide — detailed compensation data by role, location, and experience level
• State of Robotics Hiring Report — market trends and industry analysis

This guide is based on analysis of 600 entry-level and internship positions posted between November 2025 and January 2026. Job listings update continuously.