Mechanical engineer to robotics engineer
A mechanical engineer already meets 59% of what the robotics engineer role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.
45.9/ 100
1 How much of what a robotics engineer is expected to do is already part of a mechanical engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the robotics engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A robotics engineer role treats 13 of its required skills as things a mechanical engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- approve engineering design
- assess financial viability
- design automation components
- engineering principles
- engineering processes
What stands in the way is 4 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 26 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A robotics engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a mechanical engineer background worth leading with.
- already held calibrate mechatronic instruments working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held simulate mechatronic design concepts communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held design automation components communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes information skills
- already held test mechatronic units constructing
- already held robotic components engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 26 carried skills, including the 13 the robotics engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 27 missing skills fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn human-robot collaboration required
- optional, not held computer engineering optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held electronics optional
- optional, not held industrial research and development optional
- optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
- optional, not held model based system engineering optional
- optional, not held safety engineering optional
- optional, not held state estimation optional
- still to learn develop computer vision system required
- optional, not held debug software optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
- optional, not held use CAM software optional
- still to learn execute feasibility study required
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- still to learn automatic control system required
- optional, not held microprocessors optional
- optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
- optional, not held perform test run optional
- optional, not held assemble mechatronic units optional
- optional, not held assemble robots optional
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a robotics engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 human-robot collaboration study this
- 02 automatic control system study this
- 03 develop computer vision system practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 26 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held assess financial viability skill
- already held design automation components skill
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held robotic components knowledge
- already held robotics knowledge
- already held technical drawings knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held advise on machinery malfunctions skill
- already held calibrate mechatronic instruments skill
- already held create technical plans skill
- already held design principles knowledge
- already held design prototypes skill
- already held draft design specifications skill
- already held industrial engineering knowledge
- already held keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes skill
- already held maintain robotic equipment skill
- already held mechatronics knowledge
- already held prepare production prototypes skill
- already held simulate mechatronic design concepts skill
- already held test mechatronic units skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held apply advanced manufacturing optional
- optional, not held control production optional
- optional, not held follow standards for machinery safety optional
- optional, not held product data management optional
- optional, not held create software design optional
23 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assemble mechatronic units optional
- optional, not held assemble robots optional
- optional, not held create software design optional
- optional, not held debug software optional
- optional, not held follow standards for machinery safety optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held apply advanced manufacturing optional
- optional, not held computer engineering optional
- optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
- optional, not held control production optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held electronics optional
- optional, not held industrial research and development optional
- optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
- optional, not held microprocessors optional
- optional, not held model based system engineering optional
- optional, not held perform test run optional
- optional, not held product data management optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- optional, not held safety engineering optional
- optional, not held state estimation optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
- optional, not held use CAM software optional
66 held skills the robotics engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role 3D modelling knowledge
- not needed by the target role CAE software knowledge
- not needed by the target role aerodynamics knowledge
- not needed by the target role aircraft mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role automotive engineering skill
- not needed by the target role blueprints knowledge
- not needed by the target role build machines skill
- not needed by the target role building automation knowledge
- not needed by the target role combined heat and power generation knowledge
- not needed by the target role computer simulation knowledge
- not needed by the target role continuum mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role coordinate engineering teams skill
- not needed by the target role create a product's virtual model skill
- not needed by the target role define part requirements skill
- not needed by the target role define technical requirements skill
- not needed by the target role design a domotic system in buildings skill
- not needed by the target role design a solar absorption cooling system skill
- not needed by the target role design drawings knowledge
- not needed by the target role design engineering components skill
- not needed by the target role design heating and cooling emission systems skill
- not needed by the target role determine production capacity skill
- not needed by the target role develop mechatronic test procedures skill
- not needed by the target role disassemble engines skill
- not needed by the target role electric current knowledge
- not needed by the target role electromechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role evaluate engine performance skill
- not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role fluid mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role gather technical information skill
- not needed by the target role hydraulics knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect engine rooms skill
- not needed by the target role install automation components skill
- not needed by the target role install mechatronic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role instruct on energy saving technologies skill
- not needed by the target role integrated design knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain electrical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage engine-room resources skill
- not needed by the target role manage supplies skill
26 further entries not listed here
12 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn human-robot collaboration required
- still to learn automatic control system required
- optional, not held computer engineering optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held electronics optional
- optional, not held industrial research and development optional
- optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
- optional, not held microprocessors optional
- optional, not held model based system engineering optional
- optional, not held product data management optional
- optional, not held safety engineering optional
- optional, not held state estimation optional
Other moves recorded from mechanical engineer
- fluid power engineer 66% covered · moderate
- aerodynamics engineer 57% covered · moderate
- rotating equipment engineer 57% covered · moderate
- container equipment design engineer 55% covered · moderate
- mechanical engineering technician 55% covered · moderate
- packing machinery engineer 54% covered · moderate
- aerospace engineering drafter 52% covered · moderate
- rolling stock engineering drafter 51% covered · moderate
Common questions about this move
Can a mechanical engineer become a robotics engineer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A mechanical engineer already covers 59% of what a robotics engineer is expected to do: 26 skills carry over, 13 of which the robotics engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a mechanical engineer need to become a robotics engineer?
4 required skills are missing, plus 23 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is human-robot collaboration.
How hard is the move from mechanical engineer to robotics engineer?
Its learning distance is 45.9 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.