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Locomotion Jobs (NOW HIRING)

$90 - $140/hr

Whole-body motion generation and control for floating-base legged platforms -- locomotion, balance, contact transitions, and loco-manipulation (walking while manipulating). * Trajectory optimization ...

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Locomotion information

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$14

$27

$40

How much do locomotion jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 24, 2026, the average hourly pay for locomotion in the United States is $27.14, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.27 and $24.52 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are locomotion jobs?

Locomotion jobs refer to roles focused on the movement and transportation of people or goods from one place to another, often involving the operation, maintenance, or management of vehicles such as trains, buses, or other forms of transport. These jobs can include positions like train conductors, locomotive engineers, or transit operators. Professionals in this field are responsible for ensuring safe, timely, and efficient travel, and may also handle logistics, customer service, and vehicle inspections. Locomotion jobs are essential to public transportation systems and the overall infrastructure of cities and regions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a locomotive engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Locomotive Engineer, you need a solid understanding of train operations, mechanical systems, and federal safety regulations, typically supported by a high school diploma and completion of a formal engineer training program. Familiarity with train control systems, signaling equipment, and the use of onboard diagnostic software is crucial. Strong attention to detail, situational awareness, and effective communication are essential soft skills for ensuring safe and efficient train operations. These skills are vital for maintaining safety, adhering to schedules, and preventing accidents on the railways.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in locomotive operations, and how can they be addressed?

Professionals in locomotive operations often encounter challenges such as managing unpredictable schedules, ensuring safety compliance, and responding to changing weather or track conditions. Effective communication with dispatchers, conductors, and maintenance crews is crucial to overcome these hurdles. Many companies provide ongoing safety training and support systems to help employees stay current with regulations and best practices, which can make adapting to industry demands more manageable.

What is the difference between Locomotion vs Transportation Coordinator?

AspectLocomotionTransportation Coordinator
Required CredentialsVaries; often includes certifications in safety or equipment operationTypically requires logistics, supply chain, or transportation management certifications
Work EnvironmentIndustrial, construction sites, or transportation hubsOffice settings, logistics centers, or transportation companies
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in industries involving movement of goods or people, such as rail, shipping, or constructionCommon in logistics, supply chain, and freight industries

Locomotion focuses on the physical movement of vehicles, equipment, or personnel, often requiring technical skills and safety certifications. Transportation Coordinators manage logistics, scheduling, and coordination of transport services, often working in office environments. While both roles involve movement, Locomotion is more hands-on and technical, whereas Transportation Coordinators focus on planning and management within the transportation industry.

More about Locomotion jobs
Infographic showing various Locomotion job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 4% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 5% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $56,454 per year, or $27.1 per hour.

Senior Locomotion Control Engineer

Faraday Future

Fremont, CA

$110K - $135K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 18 days ago


Job description

The Company:

Faraday Future (FF) is a California-based embodied artificial intelligence ecosystem company, leveraging the latest technologies and world's best talent to realize exciting new possibilities in mobility and robotics. We're producing user-centric, technology-first vehicles and robots to establish new paradigms in human-AI interaction. We're not just seeking to change how our cars and robots work – we're seeking to change the way we drive and interact with machines. At FF, we're creating something new, something connected, and something with a true global impact.

Your Role:

We are seeking a Senior Locomotion Control Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and real-world deployment of robot motion capabilities. This role is responsible for building robust locomotion systems that work reliably across simulation and hardware, and for driving the technical direction of gait, balance, terrain adaptation, and control integration.

Responsibilities:

  • Design, implement, and optimize robot locomotion systems, including gait generation, balance control, and terrain adaptation.
  • Develop and improve locomotion controllers using MPC, whole-body control, reinforcement learning, or hybrid control approaches.
  • Own the full loop from simulation to hardware deployment, including controller tuning, regression validation, and failure analysis.
  • Improve robot stability, robustness, safety, and energy efficiency in real-world operating conditions.
  • Work closely with runtime, simulation, behavior, and hardware teams to define clean interfaces and reliable integration paths.
  • Support real-robot bring-up, debugging, performance analysis, and root-cause investigation for motion failures.
  • Contribute to control architecture decisions, testing methodology, and technical roadmap planning for motion control capabilities.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Master's degree or above in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience developing robotics locomotion, motion control, or autonomous robotic systems.
  • 3+ years of hands-on experience supporting quadruped, humanoid, or legged robot development and deployment.
  • Strong foundation in robotics, including dynamics, kinematics, estimation, and control theory.
  • Hands-on experience with at least one locomotion approach such as MPC, whole-body control, reinforcement learning locomotion, or heuristic gait control.
  • Strong C++ skills for production robotics software development.
  • Proficiency in Python for research workflows, simulation, tooling, and analysis.
  • Experience deploying algorithms on real robots, ideally quadrupeds, humanoids, or mobile manipulation systems.
  • Prior experience deploying locomotion or control algorithms on physical robots is required.
  • Ability to diagnose real-system failures and translate observations into actionable control or systems improvements.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with RL locomotion, imitation learning, or policy-based control for physical robots.
  • Experience with sim-to-real workflows, including actuator modeling, latency compensation, domain randomization, or system identification.
  • Familiarity with MuJoCo, Isaac, RaiSim, Gazebo, or equivalent simulation platforms.
  • Experience with real-time robotics systems, ROS 2, controller scheduling, and control-runtime integration.
  • Background in contact-rich control, force control, or whole-body coordination.
  • Track record of shipping motion capabilities from prototype to robust field performance.

Annual Salary Range:

($110,000 - $135,000 DOE), plus benefits and incentive plans

Perks + Benefits

  • Healthcare + dental + vision benefits (Free for you/discounted for family)
  • 401(k) options
  • Casual dress code + relaxed work environment
  • Culturally diverse, progressive atmosphere

Faraday Future is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.