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Robotics Engineer.

Seattle.

$140,000

median salary, 19% above the national average

$96,000 to $188,000. Last updated August 2026.

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Data points to own the conversation.

The median Robotics Engineer salary in Seattle is $140,000, 19% above the national average. Entry level starts near $96,000. Experienced professionals push past $188,000. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. That spread is your negotiation window. 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

$96,000

per year

Median

$140,000

per year

75th Percentile

$188,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$96,000$188,000

Orbyt estimate for Robotics Engineer in Seattle, 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 $137,430 for Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199) in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, based on 2,260 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$75,800

25th percentile

$108,190

Median

$137,430

75th percentile

$168,570

90th percentile

$209,600

Workers surveyed

2,260

BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199) rather than Robotics Engineer specifically. The Seattle 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 17-2199

Salary by experience.

The gap between entry and lead level is typically $126,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$91,000

to $112,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$119,000

to $147,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$154,000

to $182,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$175,000

to $217,000

Total compensation.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $33,000 to the total package.

Base

$140,000

Equity

$18,000

Bonus

$12,000

Signing

$3,000

Estimated total: $173,000

Robotics Engineer salary by company.

Robotics Engineer total compensation by company in Seattle
CompanyTotal Comp Range
Tesla Autopilot$167,000 to $203,000
Google DeepMind$164,000 to $195,000
Amazon$155,000 to $175,000
Apple$158,000 to $183,000
NVIDIA$160,000 to $187,000

Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings (DOL).

How Seattle compares.

Seattle, WA

$140,000

Cost of living: 24% above average

National Average

$118,000

Seattle is $22,000 above

Robotics Engineer salary by city.

Robotics Engineer salary comparison across 10 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjusted
San Jose, CA$169,000$116,000 to $227,0001.38x$122,000
Honolulu, HI$160,000$110,000 to $214,0001.30x$123,000
San Francisco, CA$155,000$106,000 to $207,0001.35x$115,000
Washington DC, DC$146,000$100,000 to $196,0001.25x$117,000
New York, NY$145,000$100,000 to $194,0001.28x$113,000
Boston, MA$145,000$100,000 to $195,0001.22x$119,000
Seattle, WA$140,000$96,000 to $188,0001.24x$113,000
Los Angeles, CA$139,000$96,000 to $186,0001.18x$118,000
Anchorage, AK$137,000$94,000 to $184,0001.13x$121,000
Newark, NJ$135,000$93,000 to $181,0001.18x$114,000

See all 81 cities for Robotics Engineer →

Salary by role in Seattle.

Salary comparison by role in Seattle
RoleMedianRange
CTO$365,000$284,000 to $474,000
General Counsel$354,000$276,000 to $460,000
CEO$344,000$250,000 to $476,000
AI Analyst$143,000$99,000 to $205,000
Robotics Engineer$140,000$96,000 to $188,000
Deep Learning Engineer$139,000$96,000 to $199,000
AI Data Scientist$137,000$95,000 to $197,000
Biomedical Engineer$137,000$111,000 to $171,000

What you should know.

If you are interviewing for Robotics Engineer roles in Seattle, here is what you are walking into. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. The presence of major tech headquarters drives some of the highest engineering salaries outside the Bay Area. Seattle's job market is particularly strong for cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and enterprise software roles. Salary is driven by expertise in perception, motion planning, and control systems. Engineers with production robotics experience in logistics, manufacturing, or surgical robotics command premiums. Proficiency with ROS2, embedded C++, and sensor fusion significantly widens compensation bands.

Junior robotics engineers start at $100,000 to $125,000. Mid-level engineers with deployed systems reach $140,000 to $170,000 after three to four years. Senior robotics engineers earn $175,000 to $220,000, while principal engineers at top firms exceed $250,000 in total compensation. In Seattle, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 24% above average, and employers adjust to compete.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at robotics startups can add $30,000 to $100,000 in annual value. Bonuses of 10% to 15% are standard. Hardware prototyping budgets and conference travel are common perks at research-oriented companies. And on the tax side: washington State has no personal income tax, which significantly boosts take home pay. However, state and local sales taxes are among the highest in the country at roughly 10.25%. When someone quotes you $140,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Remind employers that no state income tax makes your effective compensation higher. You can accept a slightly lower gross salary and still take home more than in California. The range for Robotics Engineers in Seattle runs from $96,000 to $188,000. 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

$96,000

Median

$140,000

75th

$188,000

Considering a related role?

Common questions.

A master's in robotics, mechatronics, or controls engineering is common and adds $10,000 to $20,000 to starting salary. However, engineers with strong portfolio projects involving physical robot deployments can compete effectively with bachelor's degrees alone. Industry experience with production robotic systems is weighted heavily.

Surgical robotics and autonomous vehicle companies pay the highest, followed by warehouse automation and defense robotics. Surgical robotics engineers often earn 15% to 25% above general robotics roles due to the regulatory complexity and precision requirements of medical devices.

Salary is driven by expertise in perception, motion planning, and control systems. Engineers with production robotics experience in logistics, manufacturing, or surgical robotics command premiums. Proficiency with ROS2, embedded C++, and sensor fusion significantly widens compensation bands. In Seattle, these factors can push compensation from $96,000 to $188,000 or beyond.

In 2026, the average Robotics Engineer salary in Seattle, WA is $140,000. The estimated range runs from $96,000 to $188,000. Where you land depends on your experience, the company's size, and the specific skills you bring.

Remote work has compressed geographic salary premiums for Robotics Engineers. Some Seattle employers offer location adjusted pay, while others maintain local rates to attract in office talent. In a high cost market like Seattle, remote roles may pay 10 to 20% less than local positions. The $96,000 to $188,000 range reflects both arrangements.

Robotics Engineer salary in other cities.

Other salaries in Seattle.

Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Robotics Engineers in Seattle.

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"Robotics Engineer Salary in Seattle, WA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/robotics-engineer/seattle

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