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Robotics Software Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The Role We're looking for a Robotics Software Engineer to design and build the software that powers intelligent robotic systems. You'll work on perception, autonomy, control systems, and ...

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There will be no corp-to-corp requirement Qualifications: * BS/MS in Robotics or Software ... Perform technical performance benchmarking and analyses to support engineering decisions Company ...

As a Robotics Software Engineer, you will develop high-performance, real-time software for edge devices, focusing on distributed system design and performance optimization. Responsibilities : • ...

Robotics Software Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$145K - $220K/yr

The Role We're looking for a Robotics Software Engineer to design and build the software that powers intelligent robotic systems. You'll work on perception, autonomy, control systems, and ...

About the Role We're seeking talented Robotics Software Engineers to expand our robotics data collection and evaluation program. This highly technical role involves designing, implementing, and ...

The ideal candidate is a self-driven software engineer with strong problem-solving skills, deep expertise C++ and robotics algorithms. Essential Job Duties * Quickly learn an existing software ...

The ideal candidate is a self-driven software engineer with strong problem-solving skills, deep expertise C++ and robotics algorithms. Essential Job Duties * Quickly learn an existing software ...

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Robotics Software Engineer information

See California salary details

$59.2K

$122.9K

$176.7K

How much do robotics software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for robotics software engineer in California is $122,893.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $102,600.00 and $150,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Robotics Software Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Robotics Software Engineer, you need a strong background in computer science, robotics, and mathematics, often supported by a relevant degree and experience in algorithm development. Proficiency with programming languages like C++, Python, and ROS (Robot Operating System), as well as familiarity with simulation tools and version control systems, is essential. Problem-solving ability, teamwork, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating on complex projects and adapting to evolving technologies. These skills and qualities are vital for designing, implementing, and maintaining reliable robotic systems that perform effectively in real-world environments.

What Does a Robotics Software Engineer Do?

The job duties of a robotics software engineer are working to develop software for robot control and automation. In this job, your responsibilities include working on an embedded system that controls automated equipment. You may build new software or test, improve, or debug current software. Most robotics software engineers work for the manufacturing industry and focus on robots that companies use in product production. You may work in other fields that use robotics as well. This job may include responsibilities such as developing a user interface that non-technical employees can use to set up the equipment.

What is the difference between Robotics Software Engineer vs Mechatronics Engineer?

AspectRobotics Software EngineerMechatronics Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Robotics, Computer Science, or related field; programming skillsBachelor's in Mechatronics, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering; multidisciplinary knowledge
Work EnvironmentSoftware development teams, robotics labs, research facilitiesDesign, integrate mechanical and electronic systems, often in manufacturing or automation
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, robotics firms, research institutionsManufacturing, automation, aerospace, automotive industries

While both roles involve robotics, a Robotics Software Engineer primarily focuses on developing software for robotic systems, whereas a Mechatronics Engineer designs and integrates mechanical, electronic, and software components. The roles often overlap but differ in their core focus areas and skill sets.

What are some common challenges faced by Robotics Software Engineers when integrating software with hardware systems?

Robotics Software Engineers often encounter challenges related to ensuring seamless communication between software algorithms and physical hardware components. These can include dealing with sensor noise, managing real-time constraints, debugging hardware-software mismatches, and ensuring reliable performance in unpredictable environments. Close collaboration with electrical and mechanical engineers is essential to quickly resolve integration issues and to test software on physical robots. Adapting to rapid hardware changes and troubleshooting in live environments require strong problem-solving skills and effective cross-disciplinary teamwork.

What does a Robotics Software Engineer do?

A Robotics Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains the software that controls and powers robots. This includes writing code for robot perception, control algorithms, and integration with hardware components. They work closely with hardware engineers to ensure seamless interaction between the robot's physical and digital systems. Their work often involves programming in languages such as C++, Python, or ROS (Robot Operating System) and testing robots in real-world or simulated environments.
What are the most commonly searched types of Robotics Software Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Robotics Software Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Robotics Software Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Robotics Software Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Robotics Software Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $122,893 per year, or $59.1 per hour.

Robotics Software Engineer - Robot Integrations

FieldAI

Irvine, CA • On-site

$70K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Posted 9 days ago


Job description

About the Job: Robotics Software Engineer - Robot Integrations

Field AI is building the future of autonomy-from rugged terrain to real-world deployment. We're on a mission to develop intelligent, adaptable robotic systems that operate beyond simulation and thrive in unpredictable environments. 

As our Robotics Software Engineer - Robot Integrations, you'll lead the integration of new robotic platforms into our software stack and help make them reliable, controllable, and deployment-ready. You'll develop and maintain robot drivers and interfaces spanning state, sensing, actuation, and control, while improving the performance and responsiveness of robots across a range of platforms.

This role sits at the intersection of robotics software, controls, and systems integration. You'll work closely with hardware and software platform teams to bring up new robots, improve existing integrations, and ensure our systems perform robustly in the lab and in the field.

If you enjoy working directly with real robots, solving full-stack integration challenges, and turning complex hardware into dependable, high-performing systems, this is your role. This is Field AI.

$70,000 - $300,000 a year
What You'll Get To Do 1. Lead Robot Integrations
  • Bring up and integrate robotic platforms into Field AI's software stack.

  • Develop and maintain robot drivers and interfaces for sensing, state, command, and control.

  • Build reusable integration patterns that support multiple robot types, including legged, wheeled-legged, wheeled, and humanoid systems.

  • Work across vendor SDKs, middleware, and internal software abstractions to create robust platform support.

2. Build and Maintain Core Robot Software Interfaces
  • Design and improve software components for robot state, calibration, timing, diagnostics, and control paths.

  • Maintain reliable interfaces between onboard compute, sensors, actuators, and higher-level autonomy software.

  • Debug issues across software, networking, hardware communication, and system configuration boundaries.

  • Improve maintainability, observability, and robustness of robot integration infrastructure.

3. Continuously Improve Control Performance and Robot Behavior
  • Profile end-to-end system performance from perception and state updates through command execution.

  • Tune and refine control strategies to improve stability, responsiveness, and overall controllability.

  • Analyze telemetry and on-robot behavior to identify bottlenecks and drive meaningful performance improvements.

  • Help ensure each platform achieves strong motion quality and dependable real-world behavior.

4. Collaborate Across Hardware and Software Teams
  • Partner closely with hardware teams during bring-up, validation, and troubleshooting of new robotic platforms.

  • Work with software platform teams to improve tooling, deployment workflows, abstractions, and testing infrastructure.

  • Support structured validation from bench testing to full robot trials.

  • Contribute to best practices for integration, regression testing, and long-term platform support.

What You Have
  • Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or a Bachelor's degree in one of these disciplines with relevant hands-on experience working with real robotic systems.

  • Strong software engineering skills in C++ and/or Python in Linux-based environments.

  • Hands-on experience working with real robotic systems through industry, research, or advanced project work.

  • Experience integrating and debugging one or more robotic platforms, such as legged, wheeled-legged, wheeled, or humanoid robots.

  • Familiarity with robotics middleware such as ROS/ROS 2 or similar distributed robotics software systems.

  • Understanding of robot interfaces across sensing, state estimation, actuation, and control.

  • Comfort debugging real-world system issues involving networking, timing, hardware communication, and software integration.

  • Ability to work effectively across adjacent domains, including software, electronics, networking, and mechanical interfaces.

The Extras That Set You Apart
  • Experience writing or maintaining robot drivers, SDK integrations, or hardware abstraction layers.

  • Experience with communication interfaces and protocols such as CAN, EtherCAT, serial, UDP/TCP, or similar.

  • Familiarity with control system tuning and performance profiling on physical robots.

  • Exposure to calibration, synchronization, diagnostics, and deployment tooling for robotic platforms.

  • Experience supporting robot bring-up from early integration through production-quality reliability.

  • Familiarity with simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or regression testing pipelines.

  • Prior work in cross-functional environments involving robotics software, hardware, and platform teams.

Compensation and Benefits
Our salary range is between ($70,000 - $300,000 annual), but we take into consideration an individual's background and experience in determining final salary; base pay offered may vary considerably depending on geographic location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  Also, while we enjoy being together on-site, we are open to exploring a hybrid or remote option.
 
Why Join Field AI?
We are solving one of the world's most complex challenges: deploying robots in unstructured, previously unknown environments. Our Field Foundational Models set a new standard in perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, ensuring our approach is explainable and safe for deployment.
 
You will have the opportunity to work with a world-class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. With a decade-long track record of deploying solutions in the field, winning DARPA challenge segments, and bringing expertise from organizations like DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise Self-Driving, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, we are set to achieve our ambitious goals.
 
Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution
To tackle such ambitious challenges, we need a team as unique as our vision - innovators who go beyond conventional methods and are eager to tackle tough, uncharted questions. We're seeking individuals who challenge the status quo, dive into uncharted territory, and bring interdisciplinary expertise. Our team requires not only top AI talent but also exceptional software developers, engineers, product designers, field deployment experts, and communicators.
 
We are headquartered in always-sunny Irvine, Southern California and have US based and global teammates. 
 
Join us, shape the future, and be part of a fun, close-knit team on an exciting journey!
 
 
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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