Robotics Engineer Jobs in California
Robotics Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, semiconductor manufacturing, automotive automation, and warehouse logistics, with openings from entry-level controls technicians through principal systems engineers. The largest hiring hubs are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where employers like Intuitive Surgical, Northrop Grumman, and Tesla have long-established engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties right now are autonomous systems, computer vision, and ROS-based motion planning. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Robotics Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 205+ Robotics Engineer jobs
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience in leading cross-functional teams, and robotics product development.
- Experience in robotic control, planning, kinematics, and mechatronic systems.
- Experience in shipping full-stack robotics systems.
- Experience in robotics industry, robotics applications development and turning research and development (R&D) into deployed, real world systems.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience implementing foundational vision-language-action (VLA) models, imitation learning, and reinforcement learning (RL) pipelines to teach robots dynamic object manipulation.
- Experience with embedded systems (e.g., RTOS, microcontrollers, FPGA), sensor fusion, and actuator control.
- Experience accelerating robot learning with world models and simulation.
- Understanding of recent advancements in the robotics field, specifically the application of general-purpose bipedal/wheeled humanoid platforms for flexible, human-centric data center tasks.
- Understanding of low-latency tele-operation infrastructure, haptic feedback integration, and human-in-the-loop systems for remote hardware interventions and data collection.
- Familiarity with motion control systems and robotics programming languages (e.g., Robot Operating System) or similar frameworks.
About the job
Our Physical Infrastructure Robotics team is dedicated to implementing robotics technologies and solutions to transform operations inside our data centers.
In this role, you will lead the development, integration, and scaling of autonomous physical systems across our global hyperscale data center footprint. You will lead across multiple robotics engineering disciplines to develop innovative and industry-leading solutions to enable next generation data center operations. You will collaborate closely with hardware, software, and system engineers to ensure seamless product integration, and integration of the solutions into our infrastructure operations. You will maximize physical hardware operational uptime, accelerate time-to-market, and reduce safety risks within ultra-high-density compute environments.
The AI and Infrastructure team is redefining what’s possible. We empower Google customers with breakthrough capabilities and insights by delivering AI and Infrastructure at unparalleled scale, efficiency, reliability and velocity. Our customers include Googlers, Google Cloud customers, and billions of Google users worldwide.
We're the driving force behind Google's groundbreaking innovations, empowering the development of our cutting-edge AI models, delivering unparalleled computing power to global services, and providing the essential platforms that enable developers to build the future. From software to hardware our teams are shaping the future of world-leading hyperscale computing, with key teams working on the development of our TPUs, Vertex AI for Google Cloud, Google Global Networking, Data Center operations, systems research, and much more.
Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.US: $236000 - $329000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with executive leadership to align on Robotics initiatives and roadmap, engineering execution with business goals.
- Identify, evaluate, and leverage off the shelf products, solutions, and parts to the maximum extent possible to simplify scaling, support, and certification of the robot fleet.
- Provide management support and guidance to internal teams and external partners, including solution vendors and contract manufacturers, throughout the development lifecycle, addressing inquiries and resolving issues as they arise.
- Deliver the multi-year robotics and hardware automation strategy tailored for compute, storage, and specialized liquid-cooled AI hardware infrastructure.
- Oversee the end-to-end deployment of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and multi-axis robotic arms for managing delicate data center hardware.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience in leading cross-functional teams, and robotics product development.
- Experience in robotic control, planning, kinematics, and mechatronic systems.
- Experience in shipping full-stack robotics systems.
- Experience in robotics industry, robotics applications development and turning research and development (R&D) into deployed, real world systems.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience implementing foundational vision-language-action (VLA) models, imitation learning, and reinforcement learning (RL) pipelines to teach robots dynamic object manipulation.
- Experience with embedded systems (e.g., RTOS, microcontrollers, FPGA), sensor fusion, and actuator control.
- Experience accelerating robot learning with world models and simulation.
- Understanding of recent advancements in the robotics field, specifically the application of general-purpose bipedal/wheeled humanoid platforms for flexible, human-centric data center tasks.
- Understanding of low-latency tele-operation infrastructure, haptic feedback integration, and human-in-the-loop systems for remote hardware interventions and data collection.
- Familiarity with motion control systems and robotics programming languages (e.g., Robot Operating System) or similar frameworks.
About the job
Our Physical Infrastructure Robotics team is dedicated to implementing robotics technologies and solutions to transform operations inside our data centers.
In this role, you will lead the development, integration, and scaling of autonomous physical systems across our global hyperscale data center footprint. You will lead across multiple robotics engineering disciplines to develop innovative and industry-leading solutions to enable next generation data center operations. You will collaborate closely with hardware, software, and system engineers to ensure seamless product integration, and integration of the solutions into our infrastructure operations. You will maximize physical hardware operational uptime, accelerate time-to-market, and reduce safety risks within ultra-high-density compute environments.
The AI and Infrastructure team is redefining what’s possible. We empower Google customers with breakthrough capabilities and insights by delivering AI and Infrastructure at unparalleled scale, efficiency, reliability and velocity. Our customers include Googlers, Google Cloud customers, and billions of Google users worldwide.
We're the driving force behind Google's groundbreaking innovations, empowering the development of our cutting-edge AI models, delivering unparalleled computing power to global services, and providing the essential platforms that enable developers to build the future. From software to hardware our teams are shaping the future of world-leading hyperscale computing, with key teams working on the development of our TPUs, Vertex AI for Google Cloud, Google Global Networking, Data Center operations, systems research, and much more.
Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.US: $236000 - $329000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with executive leadership to align on Robotics initiatives and roadmap, engineering execution with business goals.
- Identify, evaluate, and leverage off the shelf products, solutions, and parts to the maximum extent possible to simplify scaling, support, and certification of the robot fleet.
- Provide management support and guidance to internal teams and external partners, including solution vendors and contract manufacturers, throughout the development lifecycle, addressing inquiries and resolving issues as they arise.
- Deliver the multi-year robotics and hardware automation strategy tailored for compute, storage, and specialized liquid-cooled AI hardware infrastructure.
- Oversee the end-to-end deployment of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and multi-axis robotic arms for managing delicate data center hardware.
See All 205+ Robotics Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Robotics Engineer JobsRobotics Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Robotics Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Tesla20
- Apple14
- FieldAI7
- Amazon7
- Anduril6
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software35
- Science & Research23
- Electronics & Hardware12
- Artificial Intelligence10
- Manufacturing9
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in robotics engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science
- Hands-on experience with ROS or ROS2 for motion planning and sensor integration
- Proficiency in Python and C++ for real-time control systems and simulation
- Experience with robot kinematics, dynamics, and trajectory planning in production or lab environments
- Familiarity with computer vision libraries such as OpenCV or perception frameworks like PCL
- Ability to collaborate across hardware and software teams in a fast-paced California engineering environment
Robotics Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a robotics engineer in California?
Most robotics engineer roles in California require at least a bachelor's degree in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science, and many mid-to-senior positions prefer a master's. California does not issue a state-specific robotics engineer license, but working in certain defense or aerospace contexts may require professional engineer registration through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Building a strong portfolio of ROS-based or computer vision projects is a practical edge in the Bay Area and Los Angeles markets.
How much do robotics engineers make in California?
Robotics engineers in California earn a median of about $130,900 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $82,070 for the lowest 10% to over $203,620 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire robotics engineers in California?
Employers hiring robotics engineers in California right now include Tesla, Apple, and FieldAI, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of aerospace primes, semiconductor fabs, medical device makers, and autonomous vehicle programs means demand is spread from the Bay Area down through the greater Los Angeles basin.
Which California cities have the most robotics engineer jobs?
San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara have the most robotics engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its dense cluster of autonomous systems startups, semiconductor firms, and surgical robotics companies, while Los Angeles draws on a large aerospace and defense industrial base and San Diego benefits from proximity to defense contractors and biomedical device manufacturers anchored there.
Are there remote robotics engineer jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. Robotics engineering is fundamentally hands-on work involving physical hardware, lab testing, and integration, which limits how much can be done remotely. About 13% of robotics engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those positions tend to cover software-heavy functions like simulation, computer vision algorithm development, or motion planning that don't require daily access to a physical robot.
How can I get hired as a robotics engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a new-graduate or associate engineer role at one of California's large aerospace or automation employers, many of which run structured new-grad programs specifically for candidates without professional experience. Companies like Northrop Grumman and Intuitive Surgical hire through campus recruiting at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD, while smaller Bay Area robotics startups often bring on junior engineers who can demonstrate ROS proficiency through a strong GitHub portfolio or senior capstone project. Adjacent roles in controls technician or mechatronics support work also provide a direct bridge into engineering tracks at California manufacturers.
Where can I find and apply to robotics engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to robotics engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across aerospace, manufacturing, autonomous systems, and medical robotics. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listing.
See All 205+ Robotics Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Robotics Engineer Jobs