“The info reveals that manufacturing’s hiring problem is not about discovering certified engineers. It is about competing with industries paying twice as a lot,” stated James Dam, founding father of CareersInRobotics.com. The disparity is industry-wide, affecting each sector of the robotics market.
Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, Vietnam – January 23, 2026 – Manufacturing firms say they can not discover robotics engineers. New wage knowledge confirms they’re being outbid.
Evaluation of 907 robotics positions reveals transportation and autonomous automobile firms are paying engineers $200,000, roughly double the $102,000 typical in industrial manufacturing.
The Robotics Wage Information 2025 from CareersInRobotics.com exhibits the hole is not restricted to at least one sector. Robotics Software program & AI companies pay round $198,000, whereas conventional producers and analysis establishments sit nearer to $102,000. Related technical expertise (C++, ROS, management programs) are valued at twice the speed relying on who’s hiring.
“The info reveals that manufacturing’s hiring problem is not about discovering certified engineers. It is about competing with industries paying twice as a lot,” stated James Dam, founding father of CareersInRobotics.com. The disparity is industry-wide, affecting each sector of the robotics market.
Business Compensation Rankings:
? Transportation & Autonomous Automobiles: $200,000 median
? Robotics Software program & AI: $198,000 median
? Aerospace & Protection: $170,000 median
? Healthcare & Life Sciences: $148,000 median
? Logistics & Warehousing: $130,000 median
? Industrial Manufacturing: $102,000 median
? Analysis & Academia: $102,000 median
The hole extends throughout particular roles. A “Robotics Engineer” working in software program and AI firms earns $185,000 median in comparison with $113,000 in manufacturing. Analysis Scientists command $200,000 in autonomous automobiles versus $112,000 in academia. Controls Engineers earn $184,000 in aerospace however $109,000 in manufacturing.
This compensation disparity threatens producers’ capability to implement the automation programs wanted for Business 4.0 competitiveness. Whereas firms like NVIDIA (median $270,000) and Waymo (median $232,000) lead hiring with premium packages, conventional industrial companies battle to draw expertise at legacy pay scales.
The evaluation, based mostly on 907 wage knowledge factors collected in November-December 2025, comes as manufacturing faces mounting strain to automate. The companion Robotics Hiring Report analyzing 2,724 lively positions exhibits robust demand throughout all sectors, however the wage differential is driving expertise towards tech-focused employers.
Entry the Information
The whole dataset, together with breakdowns by position, expertise stage, and site, is out there at Robotics Wage Information 2025 and Robotics Hiring Report.
About CareersInRobotics.com
CareersInRobotics.com is the main specialised profession platform for the robotics {industry}, monitoring over 2,700 lively positions globally. The platform supplies data-driven insights to assist engineers navigate their careers and employers perceive the evolving labor market.

