ロボットエンジニアは高収入?項目別にロボットエンジニアの年収を徹底比較Robotics Engineers: High Income? An In-Depth Comparison of Robotics Engineers' Incomes

With the development of IT technology and AI, everything is becoming increasingly robotized. As a result, the demand for robot engineers is increasing in the job market. Some of you may be wondering how much annual salary you can earn when working as a robot engineer.

In this issue, we will introduce the annual salary of robot engineers by item. We also explain the key to increasing annual salary as a robot engineer, so if you are considering a career change, please refer to this article.

The role of a robot engineer is to design and develop robots. Robots are used in a variety of locations, including factories, medical facilities, nursing homes, and restaurants, and are developed by robot engineers.

Robots are indispensable in providing on-site support and improving operational efficiency. Demand for robots is expected to grow in the future as they help solve problems such as labor shortages and long working hours. As a result, many companies are in need of robot engineers.

In addition to designing robots, robot engineers are responsible for all kinds of tasks such as determining specifications, programming, and maintenance. Therefore, the job requires knowledge of all aspects of robotics, from IT to mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as the ability to think outside the box. Although a high level of expertise is required, if you have programming skills and experience in the engineering or IT industry, there is a good chance that you will be hired even if you have no experience as a robot engineer.

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If employed as a full-time robotics engineer, the average annual salary is estimated to be 4-5 million yen. In terms of monthly salary, it is approximately 330,000-410,000 yen. According to the National Tax Agency's "令和4年分 民間給与実態統計調査," the average annual salary for regular employees is 5.23 million yen. Compared to this, the average annual salary of robot engineers seems to be slightly lower.

However, the overall salary range for robot engineers is in the 3-8 million yen range, and depending on the region, place of employment, length of service, experience, and skills, an annual salary of 8 million yen or more may be expected.

The average annual salary of a robotics engineer varies by gender, age, and other factors. We have compared the average annual salary of robot engineers by item to see how the annual salary varies depending on the conditions. Please note that the average annual salary shown below may differ from the actual annual salary, so please check the figures only as a reference.

Average annual income by gender

Reference: 平均年金.jp ロボット開発技術者の年収や給料について詳しく解説します!

Assuming a robotics engineer in his/her 40s, multiplying the average annual salary standard and statistics, it is estimated that men earn 10.2 million yen per year and women earn 7.3 million yen per year. The estimated monthly income is 640,000 yen for men and 460,000 yen for women. Comparing average annual incomes by gender, men's incomes are higher.

The issue of the wage gap between men and women is currently an issue not only for robot engineers but also for many other engineers. The data also shows that while there is little difference in wages between men and women for those with 1 to 5 years of experience, there is a difference for those with 5 to 10 years of experience. Although the wage gap between men and women tends to close once a career reaches 10 years or more, some women may give up their careers before reaching that point.

However, as mentioned earlier, the overall salary range for robotic engineers is wide. Depending on their experience and skills, some female engineers may be earning more than male engineers.

Average Annual Income by Age

Reference: 平均年金.jp ロボット開発技術者の年収や給料について詳しく解説します!

As age increases, the average annual salary of robot engineers increases. The age group where the annual salary is particularly high is the 50s. In addition, those in their 30s, when they are in the prime of their working lives, can expect annual incomes in the 5-7 million yen range.

Many Japanese companies still assume lifetime employment. Therefore, many companies have introduced age-based pay, in which age and years of service are taken into consideration, and thus wage differences are likely to occur depending on age.

With age pay, there is an advantage that the longer you have been with the company, the higher your salary will be. However, since employees can receive higher salaries even if they have not achieved significant results, there is a high likelihood of internal dissatisfaction. Also, since it takes many years to reach a higher income, many people may find it more rewarding to change jobs to a company where they can aim for a higher income regardless of their age.

Average Annual Income by Prefecture

Reference: 平均年金.jp ロボット開発技術者の年収や給料について詳しく解説します!

The average annual salary of robot engineers varies from prefecture to prefecture. The area where you can aim for particularly high income is Tokyo, the center of the Japanese economy. The average annual salary in Tokyo is approximately 12.3 million yen.

The next region with the highest average annual income is Osaka Prefecture. The average annual income in Osaka Prefecture is estimated at approximately 10.5 million yen. Since Osaka is the economic center of western Japan, the annual salary of robot engineers tends to be high.

While the Kanto region is thought to have a predominance in average annual salary, western Japan is said to have a predominance in the hardware field. The hardware field is a field related to the development and manufacture of hardware products such as PCs, smartphones, home appliances, and automobiles. Robots are also included in the hardware field, so robot engineers are active in the hardware field.

In addition, the annual salary in the Kyushu-Okinawa region is 4.72 million yen. A comparison of average annual incomes in the regions shows that western Japan areas such as the Kinki region and Kyushu/Okinawa are higher than the Kanto region.

Since factories of major manufacturers are widely located not only in the Kanto area but also in the Kinki and Kyushu regions, it seems that wages are set higher in those areas. Also, since the Tokai area centering on Nagoya is the center of manufacturing, high annual income standards can be expected nationwide here as well.

Average Annual Income by Company Size

Reference: 平均年金.jp ロボット開発技術者の年収や給料について詳しく解説します!

The annual salary of robot engineers tends to vary greatly depending on the size of the company. As expected, robot engineers in large companies have higher average annual salaries than those in smaller companies, and are more likely to be able to aim for 10 million yen or more.

Large companies are able to maintain a highly profitable structure due to their strong brands and large transaction volume. This allows them to offer more generous salaries and benefits to their employees. Therefore, if annual salary is important to you, a large company would be a good candidate for your new job.

However, the majority of Japanese companies are small and medium-sized, and there are not many large companies in Japan. Furthermore, the hiring rate is strict, and in order to change jobs, you must have the skills and experience necessary to join a large company. Therefore, if you do not have enough experience, it is more realistic to aim for a smaller company and build up your career in order to increase your annual salary.

Also, a large company is not necessarily the right place for you. Large companies have their own problems due to their large size, such as "too many people and it is difficult to know who is doing what," "old ways of thinking and systems," and "it takes a long time to reach a decision. It is important to choose a new company not only based on the size of the company, but also on whether the company culture and corporate culture suit you and whether you can do the work you want to do.

Average Annual Income by Position

Reference: 平均年金.jp ロボット開発技術者の年収や給料について詳しく解説します!

In addition to continuing to work as a professional, robot engineers can also choose to take on a position as a career advancement option. Positions tend to be promoted in the order of chief, section chief, manager, and general manager, and the average annual salary tends to increase accordingly. Section chiefs and department heads have greater responsibilities and may earn more than 10 million yen a year.

According to the "令和4年分 民間給与実態統計調査結果," the average age of those in section chief and higher positions is in their late 40s or early 50s for both men and women. Therefore, it may be difficult to obtain a section chief or higher level position in one's 20s or 30s.

However, it is said that there are a relatively large number of people in their 20s and 30s who are active as chiefs, who are in charge of leading their work, and section managers, who are in charge of managing their work. In particular, small and medium-sized companies and venture companies tend to have young managers.

In some cases, the average annual salary for robot engineers alone is lower than the general average, but the average annual salary for engineers as a whole, including robot engineers, is higher than in other industries. However, after a successful career change, some may want to further increase their annual income. Finally, here are some things robot engineers can do to increase their annual salary.

Aiming for career advancement

In most Japanese companies, annual salary increases in line with years of experience. Therefore, gaining experience as an engineer and aiming for career advancement will lead to an increase in annual salary.

As mentioned earlier, if you can advance your career to the section manager or general manager level, you are likely to be able to aim for an annual salary of 10 million yen or more. If your work is highly valued at the company where you are currently working, it will not be so difficult to advance your career to a managerial position.

A manager is in charge of a team of robot engineers, and his/her main responsibilities include project progress management, quality control, and human resource development. Therefore, not only knowledge as a robotics engineer but also management skills, communication skills, and leadership skills are required. If you want to advance your career to increase your annual salary, make an effort to acquire the necessary skills.

Qualifications

If you hone your skills as a robotics engineer and improve your results, you may be promoted and receive a pay raise. If it is difficult to improve your skills in-house, you can try to obtain a certification related to robotics engineering.

No specific qualifications are required to work as a robotics engineer. However, if you have a certification, you will be able to objectively prove that you possess a certain level of expertise and skill in a specific field. You will also be able to improve your skills in the process, as you will need to study to a certain extent in order to pass the exam. Some companies may offer a qualification allowance, which will help you increase your income.

The main types of certifications useful for robot engineers are as follows
 

• Information Processing Engineer Examination
• Mechanical Design Engineer Examination
• CAD user engineer examination
• Chief Electrical Engineer Examination
• Robot SI examination
• Network Specialist Examination, etc.

National certifications and private certifications with high name recognition and publicity are recommended, as they are more likely to be given preferential treatment when changing jobs.

Change jobs to a company that offers higher income.

Annual income levels vary from company to company. Therefore, one way to increase your income is to change jobs as a robotics engineer to a company with a higher standard than your current company.

If you are looking for a higher income, it is important to choose an industry that is expanding or profitable. For example, high income can be expected in industries such as automobiles and semiconductors. Also, the size of the company has a considerable impact on the annual salary standard, so this should also be taken into consideration.

In addition, if you are aiming for a higher income, you should also check if the salary section of the job offers a statement such as "Competitive salary in consideration of ability and experience. If this is the case, your experience as an engineer and whether or not you have acquired skills that are in high demand will also play a role in your salary after changing jobs. Therefore, it is important to gain a lot of experience and improve your skills before changing jobs.

Summary: Aim to increase your income by becoming a robot engineerIn this article, we have introduced the annual income of robot engineers. There is a wide range of annual income for robot engineers, and depending on conditions such as experience and skills, there may be cases where you can aim for an annual income of 10 million yen or more. If you want to increase your annual salary as a robot engineer, aim to acquire new qualifications related to your work and to advance your career in your position.

It is also recommended that you change jobs to a company with higher salary standards. By changing jobs, you may be able to do a more rewarding job under better conditions than you have now. Even if your goal is to increase your annual salary, clarify the purpose and conditions of your job change, such as what kind of work you want to do, and then look for a new job that suits you.

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career change.