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Manipulation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Humanoid Engineer, Manipulation will develop, integrate, test, and improve manipulation capabilities on humanoid robots. This role sits at the intersection of robot learning, controls, perception ...

As an ML Engineer, Manipulation, you will develop and deploy learning-based manipulation systems that enable mobile robots to interact reliably with the physical world in dynamic human environments.

Position Overview We are seeking a versatile Robotics Engineer to develop and implement software solutions for our manipulation systems. The ideal candidate will have experience in controls ...

The Humanoid Engineer, Manipulation will develop, integrate, test, and improve manipulation capabilities on humanoid robots. This role sits at the intersection of robot learning, controls, perception ...

The Humanoid Engineer, Manipulation will develop, integrate, test, and improve manipulation capabilities on humanoid robots. This role sits at the intersection of robot learning, controls, perception ...

Robotics Engineer, Manipulation

San Mateo, CA ยท On-site

$100K - $300K/yr

Position Overview We are seeking a versatile Robotics Engineer to develop and implement software solutions for our manipulation systems. The ideal candidate will have experience in controls ...

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Manipulation information

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$19.5K

$88.4K

$173.5K

How much do manipulation jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for manipulation in the United States is $88,448.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $42,500.00 and $151,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in industrial materials manipulation roles, and how can they overcome them?

Professionals in industrial materials manipulation, such as machinists or materials handlers, often encounter challenges like maintaining precision during repetitive tasks, ensuring safety while handling heavy equipment, and adapting to new technologies or automation. Overcoming these challenges typically involves ongoing training, adherence to strict safety protocols, and collaboration with engineers and quality control teams. Staying current with industry standards and embracing continuous improvement practices can also help professionals excel in these roles.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a manipulation specialist?

To excel as a Manipulation Specialist (e.g., Manual Therapist or Physical Manipulation Practitioner), you need a deep understanding of human anatomy, musculoskeletal assessment, and hands-on therapy techniques, typically supported by a relevant health science degree and licensure. Mastery of tools such as goniometers, therapeutic ultrasound, and patient management systems is often required, along with certifications like Certified Manual Therapist (CMT). Excellent interpersonal skills, empathy, and clear communication help build trust with patients and facilitate effective treatment plans. These skills ensure safe, effective care and optimal recovery outcomes for patients seeking physical rehabilitation.

What is the difference between Manipulation vs Massage Therapist?

AspectManipulationMassage Therapist
CredentialsOften requires certification in chiropractic or physical therapy techniquesRequires massage therapy certification or license
Work EnvironmentClinics, chiropractic offices, physical therapy centersSpas, wellness centers, clinics
Industry UsageUsed in healthcare for joint and soft tissue treatmentUsed in wellness and relaxation services
Common Search IntentUnderstanding therapeutic joint or soft tissue manipulationSeeking relaxation or therapeutic massage services

Manipulation involves specific techniques to adjust joints or soft tissues, often performed by licensed healthcare professionals. Massage therapists focus on soft tissue manipulation to promote relaxation and healing. While both involve manual techniques, their credentials, settings, and purposes differ significantly.

What is a manipulation job?

Manipulation jobs typically refer to roles that involve handling, moving, or altering objects, materials, or data. These jobs can be found in various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, laboratory research, and robotics, where precise physical or digital manipulation is required. The tasks may include assembling products, operating machinery, adjusting settings, or processing information. The specific skills and tools required depend on the industry and the nature of the items or data being manipulated.
More about Manipulation jobs
Infographic showing various Manipulation job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 64% Full Time, 23% Part Time, and 13% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,448 per year, or $42.5 per hour.

Robotics Researcher - Manipulation

Auxo Talent

Alameda, CA โ€ข On-site

Other

This job post hasย expired 1 day ago.ย Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

We're building the systems that let an advanced humanoid robotics platform pick up a box, open a drawer and operate tools. As a Robotics Researcher in Manipulation, you'll develop the grasp planning, contact-rich control and learned task policies that power the robot's hands. You'll work across model-based control, imitation learning and reinforcement learning, with the bar set by whether it works on the physical robot in a real environment, not just in simulation. This role combines research depth with a relentless focus on shipping to hardware.


What you'll do

  • Research, develop and deploy manipulation policies for dexterous task execution
  • Build grasp planning and contact-rich control pipelines that generalise across varied objects and environments
  • Design and run data collection and teleoperation infrastructure to feed policy training at scale
  • Train manipulation policies using imitation learning, reinforcement learning or hybrid approaches, iterating until they work in the real world
  • Integrate manipulation with the perception stack and broader autonomy pipeline
  • Systematically diagnose hardware failure modes and drive improvement
  • Contribute to open-source manipulation research and tooling


What you'll bring

  • Strong foundations in robotics, control theory and motion planning
  • Hands-on experience building and deploying manipulation systems on real robotic platforms
  • Strong Python and C++; experience with PyTorch or JAX
  • A track record of taking manipulation research from prototype to hardware deployment
  • Experience with data collection infrastructure and teleoperation for policy training


Nice to have

  • Diffusion policies, transformer-based policy architectures, or large-scale foundation models for manipulation
  • Prior work on dexterous or in-hand manipulation
  • Contact-rich or deformable object manipulation
  • Publications at RSS, ICRA, CoRL or equivalent