Robotics and automation
Robotics and automation jobs: pay, skills and how to get in
Robotics and automation work runs from technicians who keep automated lines running to engineers who design and program them. Automation technicians share an ONS group with maintenance fitters, with a full-time median of £40,760; professional automation engineers had £47,946 and robotics engineers £48,776 (ONS ASHE 2025). Below: the careers, the skills and the ways in, including how technicians move up.
Updated
Pay at a glance
The change column compares each ONS full-time median with the UK median for all full-time employees, £39,039.
| Job | UK median pay | Change vs UK full-time median | Degree usually needed | Apprenticeship (lowest level listed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automation technician | £40,760 | +£1,721 | No | Level 3, 42 months |
| Maintenance fitter | £40,760 | +£1,721 | No | Level 3, 36 months |
| Electrical or electronics technician | £35,126 | −£3,913 | No | Level 3, 42 months |
| Automation engineer | £47,946 | +£8,907 | Yes | Level 6, 42 months |
| Robotics engineer | £48,776 | +£9,737 | Yes | Level 6, 48 months |
| Mechatronics engineer | £48,776 | +£9,737 | Yes | Level 6, 48 months |
| Embedded software engineer | £56,914 | +£17,875 | No | None listed |
Sources: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a; Skills England apprenticeship standards (retrieved 29 September 2026), published . Full-time medians unless marked. Pay covers the whole ONS unit group behind each job.
The careers in detail
Technician roles
Hands-on roles with routes that do not need a degree.
FromMaintenance, electrical or production workToAutomation technician
Keeps robots and automated lines running: fault finding across mechanical, electrical and control systems, planned maintenance, and changes to PLC programs to get a line back up.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Automation and controls engineering technician, level 4, typically 48 months
- Apprenticeship: Mechatronics maintenance technician, level 3, typically 42 months
- Apprenticeship: Engineering maintenance technician - dual discipline, level 3, typically 48 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 5223 "Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians", not only automation technician roles. ONS codes an automation engineer who maintains automated equipment to metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians (5223), so the pay figure covers that whole group, including maintenance fitters.
FromMaintenance, electrical or production workToMaintenance fitter
Multi-skilled maintenance on production lines builds the fault finding that automation work depends on, which makes it a natural first step.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Maintenance and operations engineering technician, level 3, typically 36 months
- Apprenticeship: Engineering maintenance technician - dual discipline, level 3, typically 48 months
- Apprenticeship: Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline, level 3, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Live maintenance fitter jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 5223 "Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians", not only maintenance fitter roles.
FromMaintenance, electrical or production workToElectrical or electronics technician
Control panels, sensors and drives are electrical and electronic equipment, so testing and repairing them from schematics is a direct way into controls work.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Engineering technician, level 3, typically 42 months
- Apprenticeship: Mechatronics maintenance technician, level 3, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Live electrical or electronics technician jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 3112 "Electrical and electronics technicians", not only electrical or electronics technician roles.
Engineering roles
Design, programming and commissioning roles that usually need a degree or a degree apprenticeship.
FromAn engineering degree, apprenticeship or technician roleToAutomation engineer
Designs, programs and commissions the control systems behind automated machines: PLCs, drives, sensors and operator screens. Controls engineer and control and instrumentation engineer are other names for similar work.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Control systems engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Live automation engineer jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2125 "Production and process engineers", not only automation engineer roles. ONS codes professional automation and control engineers with production and process engineers (2125), so the pay figure covers that whole group. The National Careers Service lists automation engineer as another name for a robotics engineer.
FromAn engineering degree, apprenticeship or technician roleToRobotics engineer
Designs and programs robot cells, from choosing the robot and tooling to writing and proving the program and handing it to production.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Robotics engineer - degree, level 6, typically 48 months
- Apprenticeship: Electro-mechanical engineer, level 6, typically 60 months
- Apprenticeship: Advanced robotics engineer, level 7, typically 36 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2129 "Engineering professionals n.e.c.", not only robotics engineer roles. ONS codes robotics engineers to engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129), a broad group, so the pay figure covers all of it.
FromAn engineering degree, apprenticeship or technician roleToMechatronics engineer
Brings mechanical, electrical and control engineering together in one machine, such as packaging lines and automated test rigs.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Electro-mechanical engineer, level 6, typically 60 months
- Apprenticeship: Robotics engineer - degree, level 6, typically 48 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2129 "Engineering professionals n.e.c.", not only mechatronics engineer roles. ONS codes mechatronics engineers to engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129), a broad group, so the pay figure covers all of it.
FromAn engineering degree, apprenticeship or technician roleToEmbedded software engineer
Writes the software inside controllers, sensors and connected devices, the layer that robots and IoT products run on.
- Way in
- Degree usually needed: No
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2134 "Programmers and software development professionals", not only embedded software engineer roles. ONS codes embedded software engineers with all programmers and software development professionals (2134), so the pay figure covers that whole group.
The skills that matter
The technical skills these roles are built on. Our CV reader looks for each of them by name.
PLC programming
Writing and changing the programs in programmable logic controllers, for example Siemens (TIA Portal) or Allen-Bradley (Studio 5000), in ladder logic or structured text.
Robot programming
Teaching and programming industrial robots and cobots from makers such as FANUC, ABB, KUKA and Universal Robots, on the pendant or offline.
SCADA and HMI
The operator screens and supervisory software that show and control what a line is doing.
Electrical fault finding
Finding faults in control panels, wiring and three-phase equipment from drawings and schematics, safely.
Industrial automation
Drives, servos, motion control and the industrial networks (Profinet, EtherCAT and others) that link them.
Sensors and instrumentation
Choosing, fitting and calibrating the sensors that tell a machine what is happening.
Machine vision
Cameras and software that inspect parts or guide robots.
Mechatronics
Understanding how the mechanical, electrical and control sides of a machine work together.
From maintenance, CNC or electrical work into automation
Automation technician roles build on maintenance, electrical or production experience. The step up is adding control skills to the fault finding you already do.
- Build on what you have. Electrical and mechanical fault finding, reading drawings and working safely on live equipment are the base. If your experience is mechanical only, a multi-skilled maintenance role adds the electrical side.
- Add control skills. PLC programming, drives and robot programming, through an apprenticeship, a college course or training your employer pays for.
- Apply for automation technician roles, then move towards controls or automation engineering with experience and further study, such as an HNC or a degree apprenticeship.
| Apprenticeship | Level | Typical length | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance and operations engineering technician | 3 | 36 months | maintenance fitter |
| Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline | 3 | 42 months | maintenance fitter |
| Engineering technician | 3 | 42 months | electrical or electronics technician |
| Mechatronics maintenance technician | 3 | 42 months | automation technician, electrical or electronics technician |
| Engineering maintenance technician - dual discipline | 3 | 48 months | automation technician, maintenance fitter |
| Automation and controls engineering technician | 4 | 48 months | automation technician |
Source: Skills England, apprenticeship standards approved for delivery, published retrieved 29 September 2026. Standards apply in England. Typical lengths are Skills England's figures; relevant experience can shorten them.
Apprenticeships have no upper age limit in England: GOV.UK's only age rule is that you are 16 or over. Upload your CV and tell us you want automation, and your results search for those roles first.
Graduates and degree apprenticeships
The National Careers Service lists degrees in subjects such as robotics, mechatronics, mechanical or electronics engineering, computer science or maths for robotics engineering, and level 6 degree apprenticeships as a paid alternative.
| Apprenticeship | Level | Typical length | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control systems engineer (degree) | 6 | 42 months | automation engineer |
| Robotics engineer - degree | 6 | 48 months | robotics engineer, mechatronics engineer |
| Electro-mechanical engineer | 6 | 60 months | robotics engineer, mechatronics engineer |
| Advanced robotics engineer | 7 | 36 months | robotics engineer |
Source: Skills England, apprenticeship standards approved for delivery, published retrieved 29 September 2026. Standards apply in England. Typical lengths are Skills England's figures; relevant experience can shorten them.
| Career | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | ONS group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automation engineer | £39,642 | £47,946 | £58,754 | 2125 |
| Robotics engineer | £39,653 | £48,776 | £61,717 | 2129 |
| Mechatronics engineer | £39,653 | £48,776 | £61,717 | 2129 |
| Embedded software engineer | £42,289 | £56,914 | £75,794 | 2134 |
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Each figure covers the whole ONS unit group named by its code, not only the job title shown. ONS leaves a quartile out when the estimate is not reliable enough to publish.
Source: National Careers Service, Robotics engineer, published retrieved 29 September 2026.
Search live jobs
Live UK adverts from Reed, Adzuna and more, and jobs posted on MatchMySkillset.
Free and funded training
The main free and funded ways to train in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own schemes.
Skills Bootcamps (free, up to 16 weeks)
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over in England. They are free if you take the course yourself rather than through your employer, and you are guaranteed a job interview with an employer at the end. If you claim Universal Credit, you can keep claiming while you study.
Subjects include technical skills such as engineering, and digital skills such as data.
Find a Skills Bootcamp on the official National Careers Service course finder.
Source: Department for Education, Skills for Careers: Skills Bootcamps; DWP JobHelp: Skills Bootcamps, published checked 28 September 2026.
Apprenticeships at any adult age
GOV.UK's only age rule is that you are 16 or over. You must live in England and not be in full-time education, and you can already hold a degree. You are an employee earning a wage, at least 20% of your normal working hours go on training, and relevant experience can shorten it. Your employer and training provider must not ask you to pay towards the training or assessment.
Check the pay before you apply. An employer can pay the apprentice rate of £8 an hour in your first year, even if you are 19 or over. After the first year you are entitled to the minimum wage for your age: £12.71 an hour at 21 and over from April 2026.
Source: GOV.UK, Become an apprentice; Apprenticeship funding rules August 2026 to July 2027 (paragraph 220); National Minimum Wage rates, published checked 28 September 2026.
Free Courses for Jobs (level 3 and some level 2)
If you are 19 or over and earn below £25,750, or are unemployed, you can get a level 3 qualification free in England, or a level 2 in construction, engineering or manufacturing. Subjects include accounting, business management, digital, health and social care, and teaching and lecturing. Local rules can differ, so ask the provider.
Source: GOV.UK, Free courses for jobs (DWP), published .
Advanced Learner Loans (level 3 to 6)
For a level 3, 4, 5 or 6 course at an approved college or provider in England, if you are 19 or over on the first day. There is no credit check and it does not depend on your income. You repay once you earn over the threshold, and interest runs from the first payment. For level 3, ask about an Adult Skills Fund grant first, which you do not repay. Level 4 to 6 courses starting on or after 1 January 2027 move to the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.
Source: GOV.UK, Advanced Learner Loan, published checked 28 September 2026.
Common questions
Short answers, each with its source. Pay figures are ONS ASHE 2025 full-time medians unless stated.
How much does a robotics engineer earn in the UK?
ONS codes robotics engineers to engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (unit group 2129), which had a full-time median of £48,776 in 2025 (ONS ASHE 2025). That group is broad, so read it as a guide, and it is a median across all experience levels, not a starting salary.
How much does an automation engineer earn?
A professional automation or control engineer is coded by ONS to production and process engineers (2125): a full-time median of £47,946. An automation technician who maintains equipment is coded to maintenance fitters and technicians (5223): £40,760 (ONS ASHE 2025).
Do I need a degree to work in robotics or automation?
Not for technician roles: automation technicians can come through maintenance or an apprenticeship at level 3 or 4. Robotics and automation engineer roles usually need a degree or a degree apprenticeship, according to the routes ONS and the National Careers Service describe.
How do I become a robotics engineer?
The National Careers Service lists four routes: a degree in a subject such as robotics, mechatronics, or mechanical or electronics engineering; a college course that could lead to a robotics technician job; a level 6 degree apprenticeship; or starting as a robotics technician or junior engineer and studying for higher education qualifications while you work.
Is there a robotics apprenticeship?
Yes. Skills England's Robotics engineer - degree standard is a level 6 degree apprenticeship that typically takes 48 months, and Advanced robotics engineer is level 7, typically 36 months. For technicians, the Automation and controls engineering technician apprenticeship is level 4. They apply in England.
Can a maintenance engineer move into automation?
Yes. Add PLC, drives and robot skills to your fault finding, then apply for automation technician roles. The Automation and controls engineering technician apprenticeship (level 4, typically 48 months) and Mechatronics maintenance technician (level 3) are both open to adults in England.
What is a PLC?
A programmable logic controller: a rugged industrial computer that reads sensors and switches motors, valves and robots on and off to run a machine or line. Writing and changing PLC programs is a core skill in controls and automation work.
What is the difference between an automation technician and an automation engineer?
Technicians mostly keep automated equipment running: maintenance, fault finding and program changes. Engineers mostly design, program and commission new systems. ONS reflects the difference by coding them to different groups (5223 and 2125), with different pay.
How we worked this out
Pay is the median gross annual pay for full-time employees in the UK from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional, Table 14.7a, published 23 October 2025). It covers the tax year ending 5 April 2025, for employees who had been in the same job for more than a year. A median is the midpoint for everyone in the job, from new starters to people with decades behind them, so it is not a starting salary.
The change column compares each career's full-time median with the UK full-time median for all employees, £39,039. ONS codes automation work to different groups by level: a professional automation engineer to production and process engineers (2125), and an automation engineer who maintains equipment to maintenance fitters and technicians (5223). Robotics and mechatronics engineers are in engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129), a broad group.
- Each job is matched to an ONS SOC 2020 unit group using the ONS coding index. Where several jobs share a group, the figure covers all of them, and the card says so.
- ONS does not publish a figure when the estimate is too uncertain (a coefficient of variation over 20%) or could identify people. We say "not published" rather than fill the gap.
- ASHE counts employees only. It says nothing about self-employed earnings, such as private tutoring or consultancy.
- "Degree usually needed" is our judgement from the entry routes that ONS and the National Careers Service describe. "No" means a documented route exists below degree level, not that nobody in the job has a degree.
- Apprenticeships are Skills England standards approved for delivery on 29 September 2026. They apply in England. Durations are Skills England's typical figures, and relevant experience can shorten them.
- ONS publishes ASHE 2026 on 22 October 2026. We will update these figures when it does.
Sources
- ONS, Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14 (2025 provisional), published 23 October 2025.
- ONS, SOC 2020 Volume 2: the coding index (version 14), retrieved 29 September 2026.
- National Careers Service, Robotics engineer, retrieved 29 September 2026.
- Skills England, apprenticeship standards, retrieved 29 September 2026.
- GOV.UK, Become an apprentice, checked 28 September 2026.