What do they do?
Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
Also known as:
Applications Engineer, Control Systems Engineer, MEMS Integration Engineer (Microelectrical Mechanical Integration Engineer), Microsystems Engineer, Process Engineer, Product Design Engineer, Project Design Engineer, Project Engineer, Radio Frequency Design Engineer (RF Design Engineer), System Engineer, Systems Engineer
No Data Available
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1.4%
Change
Ranks #40 in job growth rate450Job Openings
Ranks #9 in net job growth
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- Bachelor's degree (50%)
- Master's degree (26%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (8%)
- Some college, no degree (7%)
- Associate's degree (6%)
- High school diploma equivalent (4%)
- Less than high school diploma (1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Microsystems Engineers
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#1
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Degrees Granted
2,350
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Female Students
612
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Male Students
1,738
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Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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#2
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Degrees Granted
862
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Female Students
309
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Male Students
553
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Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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#3
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Degrees Granted
813
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Female Students
300
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Male Students
513
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Median Starting Salary
$61,700
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#4
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Degrees Granted
724
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Female Students
228
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Male Students
496
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Median Starting Salary
$66,400
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#5
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Degrees Granted
650
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Female Students
118
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Male Students
532
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Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
People in this career often do these activities:
- Create graphical representations of mechanical equipment.
- Research industrial processes or operations.
- Design micro- or nano-scale materials, devices, or systems.
- Create models of engineering designs or methods.
- Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
- Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.
- Direct design or development activities.
- Document technical design details.
- Research engineering applications of emerging technologies.
- Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
- Design industrial processing systems.
- Devise research or testing protocols.
- Schedule operational activities.
- Conduct validation tests of equipment or processes.
- Develop technical methods or processes.
- Prepare proposal documents.
- Inspect operational processes.
- Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
- Prepare procedural documents.
- Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
- Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
- Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
- Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
- Operate precision equipment to control microscopic or nanoscopic processes.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database
by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
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