Robotics Engineers

Employment opportunities for robotics engineers are closely tied to economic conditions in the United States and in the global marketplace. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all industries, causing an economic slowdown in 2020 that is expected to continue into 2021. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the fields of mechanical and computer hardware engineering will grow about as fast as average or more slowly through 2029, mainly due to increased competition from other industries that are developing their own electronic devices. Competition for engineering and jobs will be stiff, and opportunities will be best for those that have advanced degrees.

The use of industrial robots is expected to grow as robots become more programmable and flexible and as manufacturing processes become more automated. Faster than average growth is expected for industrial engineers through 2029. Growth is also expected in nontraditional applications, such as education, health care, security, and nonindustrial purposes. Future employment in robotics will depend on future demand for new applications, as well as available capital to spend on research and development.

The International Federation of Robotics (IFG) reported that in 2020, there were 2.7 million industrial robots operating in factories worldwide. Approximately 373,00 new robot units were sold in 2019, a 12 percent drop compared to sales in 2018. A slowdown in sales is expected to continue through 2021 due to the pandemic, but industry experts predict that robotics will rebound in 2022. With some forecasts estimating further, rapid growth in use of robots in years to come, it's clear the industry is expanding.