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The heart of any robotics deployment will always be the skilled technicians who make sure the robotic systems are working properly, safely, and at optimal production levels in a manufacturing environment. It’s also a growing field with more and more people seeing a place for themselves on a robotics team’s roster. If you’re interested in developing your skills, this guide will help you pick the competencies most in demand.

You might have heard about the decline in manufacturing jobs in the US, more specifically in the Midwest and Ohio Valley areas. While there might be fewer jobs for laborers on the manufacturing floor, there is no shortage of employment opportunities in manufacturing. The future is in robots and automation, and for many potential employees in the field, the robotics technician role is the best place to start.

The Jobs Data is There

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, there are more than 12 million Americans directly employed in manufacturing, or roughly 9% of the total workforce, and that number is growing. What’s growing, too, is the sale, and therefore the implementation, of robots. This means that robots are not taking jobs away but actually making them. 

The Nuts and Bolts of Robotics Technicians’ Skills and Responsibilities

As a robotics technician, you’ll often find yourself on the manufacturing floor, tending to the mechanical needs of robots. This means you’ll benefit from some training in mechanics. You’ll want to spend time particularly focused on hydraulics, pneumatics, and electronics, as all of these will have a role in the continuing operation of the machines. Each of these disciplines contributes toward the continuous function of manufacturing robots, and by having the appropriate skills in each, you’ll be that much closer to a successful robotics technician career. 

Part of this material maintenance of robots is an understanding of basic engineering principles like physics and fluid mechanics. You’ll also benefit from more electronics-focused areas like working with microprocessors, circuit boards, networking technology, and other computer technology.

These skills will help you learn how to fix robots that break, identify issues with the robotic systems, or even make working robots work better. Robotics technician training is designed to teach you the exact skills needed for this entry-level robotics job.

Don’t Forget the Brains: Software Skills for Robotics Technicians

That’s all fine for the hardware, but what about software? A robot has a brain in addition to an artificial body, and a robotics technician needs to know how to service the software, too. You won’t be debugging code or programming assembly code, but you might be expected to know how to update the software or identify if a problem with a robotics component is due to its software or hardware. If you’re looking for a more technical or academically rigorous career, you should consider robotics engineering. 

The Foundational Robotics Technician Skills

According to data compiled by the ARM Institute, one of the most important skills a robotics technician can have is the ability to troubleshoot, or identify problems and fix them. This term refers to a general systems-level awareness of how the different pieces of the manufacturing process can fit together and a more targeted awareness of how those systems work, both from an electronics perspective and a mechanical one. 

Right behind troubleshooting on our list of robotics technician skills is preventative maintenance, followed closely by repair and welding. These aren’t necessary, but they definitely don’t hurt and can make you an even more attractive candidate to many employers. If you and another potential robotics technician have similar backgrounds, but only one of you has a skill like welding, you can imagine how that would influence the final hiring decision. 

Some aspects of the robotics field are more abstract than what can be summed up in a syllabus or work order.  A robotics technician should have an analytical mind, ready and willing to take a problem apart and put it back together. A good robotics technician will also welcome challenges and not shy away from a task or obstacle that seems insurmountable. Tenacity and wherewithal are essential to a successful career as a robotics technician. It also helps to be an able communicator, as you’ll be working with people across many disciplines and fields, sometimes all at once, while servicing the robotics systems assigned to you. Clear, open dialogue with these stakeholders and coworkers will serve any robotics technician well. 

No Need for an Expensive College Degree…

You don’t need a Ph.D. in Robotics to find a great career in a robotics technician role. Aside from a high school diploma or equivalent, most technicians have two-year associate’s degrees, readily available from educational providers, specifically robotics technician schools, everywhere. In other words, you’re not as far away from a great robotics job as you might think, and education is not going to be your highest obstacle. 

But Education Doesn’t Hurt

As we noted above, you don’t need a dozen years in higher academics to get a great job as a robotics technician. You’ll need at least a high school diploma and more than a passing interest in science and mathematics. A higher degree, like a BS, would be optimal but many robotics technicians stick to the two-year associate’s degree in robotics so they can start working and earning faster. However, the level of education needed is dependent on what type of role you’re looking for. With that being said, it’s not uncommon for people to start out as robotics technicians with the minimum education, then expanding their education while working to move up the ladder of roles and responsibilities. For those looking to jump into the robotics field as soon as possible, there’s no better place to start than the education and skills needed to be a robotics technician.. 

If you’d like to learn more about how you can become a robotics technician, and get some help along the way, check out  www.roboticscareer.org. 

Create your profile today to launch your path into the robotics revolution, where cutting-edge technology and skilled talent come together to revolutionize manufacturing. The start of your future in robotics is just a click away.

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About The Author

Lisa Masciantonio 

Chief Workforce Officer

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute 

Lisa Masciantonio is the Chief Workforce Officer for the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute. She joined the ARM Institute in May 2017 as the Director of Membership and Outreach.  She moved to the position of Chief Workforce Officer in 2019 and she is responsible for driving the Education & Workforce Development vision for ARM in conjunction with the ARM membership, the federal and state government partners, and other expert stakeholders. 

Lisa brings with her over 25 years of experience as a performance-driven leader with notable success in cultivating and executing business strategies and formulating long-term strategic client relationships.  She has proven success in developing business solutions, commercialization of products, technology transfer, and technological initiatives that have supported organizational growth, improved staff productivity, and increased value to many communities of practice. Critical to her success is the ability to increase awareness and drive thought leadership position by designing and executing innovative programs as well as developing and launching new, value-add offerings for ongoing competitiveness. Lisa received a Bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University and 2 Master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University. 

In 2021, Lisa was recognized as one of 20 world-wide Exceptional Women in Robotics and Automation by SME. In 2022, she was recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times as a Women of Influence and was also part of the inaugural Technical.ly Pittsburgh RealLIST Connectors list, which recognizes the top 100 influential leaders in Pittsburgh tech.