Just landed a remote robotics simulation job in China (16k RMB / ~RM9k) fresh out of grad school — but already anxious about what comes next
Just landed a remote robotics simulation job in China (16k RMB / ~RM9k) fresh out of grad school — but already anxious about what comes next
So I just got a remote Robotics Simulation Engineer role with a Chinese company. Pay is decent for a fresh grad (16k RMB, roughly RM9k), the work is relevant — Isaac Sim, ROS2, that kind of stuff — and honestly I'm stoked about it.
But here's the thing that's been eating at me: what happens when I eventually part ways with this company?
I've been browsing Jobstreet, LinkedIn, and a few other platforms for robotics/simulation roles in Malaysia and I can count the relevant postings on one hand — maybe 1 or 2 at any given time. It doesn't seem like there's a real market here yet for this kind of skillset.
One of my biggest concerns is the salary ceiling. I'm starting out at RM9k, which is already above average for a fresh grad here. But the average engineering salary in Malaysia hovers around RM5-5.5k. So if I ever have to "come back" to the local market — whether by choice or circumstance — am I just going to take a massive pay cut? How do engineers with niche, internationally-relevant skills actually grow their income here, when the local benchmark is so low to begin with? Is the ceiling just... RM8-10k and you're stuck there unless you go into management?
Some other things I'm genuinely unsure about:
- Is Malaysia realistically going to transition into R&D-heavy robotics in the near future, or are we still decades away?
- For engineers who went deep into niche simulation/controls work — what did you pivot to when the local market didn't have demand?
- Is the play to just keep working remotely for overseas companies indefinitely? Singapore? China? EU?
- Or do you retool into something more "marketable" locally — like automation, manufacturing engineering, or even software?
Would love to hear from seniors or experienced engineers, especially Malaysians or anyone who's navigated a similar situation. Just want an honest chat about the realistic outlook — not looking for sugarcoating.
TL;DR — Niche robotics sim job in China is great for now, but the Malaysian job market for this seems nearly nonexistent, and the salary ceiling looks depressingly low. What's the long game here?