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Humanoid Robotics Engineer.

Los Angeles.

$220,000

median salary, 17% above the national average

$164,000 to $290,000. Last updated August 2026.

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Humanoid Robotics Engineer pay in Los Angeles ranges from $164,000 to $290,000 in 2026. The median is $220,000, 17% above the national average. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.

Salary range.

25th Percentile

$164,000

per year

Median

$220,000

per year

75th Percentile

$290,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$164,000$290,000

Orbyt estimate for Humanoid Robotics Engineer in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.

Government benchmark for this occupation

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $123,900 for Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 8,780 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$77,040

25th percentile

$96,010

Median

$123,900

75th percentile

$146,850

90th percentile

$173,340

Workers surveyed

8,780

Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $220,000 is 78% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Mechanical Engineers covers a different population than the Humanoid Robotics Engineer title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.

BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141) rather than Humanoid Robotics Engineer specifically. The Los Angeles range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.

View the BLS source for SOC 17-2141

Salary by experience.

The gap between entry and lead level is typically $198,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$143,000

to $176,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$187,000

to $231,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$242,000

to $286,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$275,000

to $341,000

Total compensation.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $58,000 to the total package.

Base

$220,000

Equity

$33,000

Bonus

$21,000

Signing

$4,000

Estimated total: $278,000

How Los Angeles compares.

Los Angeles, CA

$220,000

Cost of living: 18% above average

National Average

$188,000

Los Angeles is $32,000 above

Humanoid Robotics Engineer salary by city.

Humanoid Robotics Engineer salary comparison across 10 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjusted
San Jose, CA$267,000$199,000 to $353,0001.38x$193,000
San Francisco, CA$254,000$189,000 to $335,0001.35x$188,000
Honolulu, HI$252,000$187,000 to $332,0001.30x$194,000
New York, NY$250,000$186,000 to $330,0001.28x$195,000
Seattle, WA$238,000$177,000 to $314,0001.24x$192,000
Boston, MA$236,000$176,000 to $312,0001.22x$193,000
San Diego, CA$229,000$170,000 to $302,0001.17x$196,000
Washington DC, DC$228,000$170,000 to $301,0001.25x$182,000
Los Angeles, CA$220,000$164,000 to $290,0001.18x$186,000
Newark, NJ$220,000$164,000 to $290,0001.18x$186,000

See all 81 cities for Humanoid Robotics Engineer →

Salary by role in Los Angeles.

Salary comparison by role in Los Angeles
RoleMedianRange
CTO$368,000$287,000 to $479,000
General Counsel$327,000$255,000 to $425,000
CEO$321,000$234,000 to $444,000
Humanoid Robotics Engineer$220,000$164,000 to $290,000
Privacy Counsel$220,000$171,000 to $286,000
AI Patent Attorney$218,000$165,000 to $283,000
Corporate Counsel$218,000$170,000 to $284,000
Route Optimization AI Specialist$217,000$169,000 to $283,000

What you should know.

If you are interviewing for Humanoid Robotics Engineer roles in Los Angeles, here is what you are walking into. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Expertise in bipedal locomotion, whole body control, and human robot interaction drives top compensation. Engineers who can integrate perception, planning, and manipulation into coherent humanoid behavior are extremely rare. Experience with reinforcement learning for locomotion, sim to real transfer, and compliant control for safe human proximity adds significant premiums.

Junior humanoid robotics engineers start at $115,000 to $145,000. Mid level engineers with physical robot deployment experience earn $168,000 to $210,000. Senior engineers reach $215,000 to $270,000. Technical leads at leading humanoid robotics companies can exceed $360,000 in total compensation. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at humanoid robotics startups adds 25 to 50% of total compensation given venture capital valuations. Performance bonuses of 15 to 25% are standard. Signing bonuses of $30,000 to $75,000 are common. Benefits include hardware lab access, testing facility time, and conference travel. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $220,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Humanoid Robotics Engineers in Los Angeles runs from $164,000 to $290,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology

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$

25th

$164,000

Median

$220,000

75th

$290,000

Considering a related role?

Common questions.

Massive venture capital investment since 2024 has driven salaries up 20 to 35% as companies compete for a very small talent pool. Engineers with hands on experience building and deploying humanoid systems are extremely scarce. The combination of high funding, ambitious timelines, and limited expertise creates one of the most competitive hiring environments in all of robotics.

A combination of mechanical engineering or controls background with deep reinforcement learning expertise is most valued. Experience with legged locomotion research, particularly sim to real transfer methods, commands the highest premiums. Engineers who have worked on physical robot hardware and understand the gap between simulation and real world deployment are most sought after.

The national median for a Humanoid Robotics Engineer is $186,441. In Los Angeles, cost of living adjustments push the median to $220,000. That premium reflects Los Angeles's higher housing, transportation, and everyday costs.

Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. For Humanoid Robotics Engineers specifically, the median salary of $220,000 reflects that demand.

Equity at humanoid robotics startups adds 25 to 50% of total compensation given venture capital valuations. Performance bonuses of 15 to 25% are standard. Signing bonuses of $30,000 to $75,000 are common. Benefits include hardware lab access, testing facility time, and conference travel. In Los Angeles's market, the base range of $164,000 to $290,000 is just the starting point for negotiation.

Los Angeles's cost of living is 18% above the national average. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. Calculate your actual take home pay after housing, taxes, and transportation before deciding. A $220,000 salary here buys a different lifestyle than the same number in another market.

Los Angeles's economy is driven by Entertainment & Media, Aerospace & Defense, Technology, and Healthcare. Humanoid Robotics Engineers are hired across these sectors, though compensation can vary 15 to 25% between industries. Company size and funding stage also influence total packages significantly.

Humanoid Robotics Engineer salary in other cities.

Other salaries in Los Angeles.

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"Humanoid Robotics Engineer Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/humanoid-robotics-engineer/los-angeles

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