Fuel Cell Engineers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 17-2141.01United States
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
- Median annual earnings
- $104,090
- Projected change
- +11.3%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 303.91K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
57.1% of the workforce
Growing to 338.22K by 2035
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The work
What fuel cell engineers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance.
- Provide technical consultation or direction related to the development or production of fuel cell systems.
- Characterize component or fuel cell performances by generating operating maps, defining operating conditions, identifying design refinements, or executing durability assessments.
- Analyze fuel cell or related test data, using statistical software.
- Plan or implement fuel cell cost reduction or product improvement projects in collaboration with other engineers, suppliers, support personnel, or customers.
- Conduct fuel cell testing projects, using fuel cell test stations, analytical instruments, or electrochemical diagnostics, such as cyclic voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy.
- Conduct post-service or failure analyses, using electromechanical diagnostic principles or procedures.
- Recommend or implement changes to fuel cell system designs.
- Define specifications for fuel cell materials.
- Read current literature, attend meetings or conferences, or talk with colleagues to stay abreast of new technology or competitive products.
- Validate design of fuel cells, fuel cell components, or fuel cell systems.
- Develop fuel cell materials or fuel cell test equipment.
- Prepare test stations, instrumentation, or data acquisition systems for use in specific tests of fuel cell components or systems.
- Fabricate prototypes of fuel cell components, assemblies, stacks, or systems.
- Design or implement fuel cell testing or development programs.
- Manage fuel cell battery hybrid system architecture, including sizing of components, such as fuel cells, energy storage units, or electric drives.
- Write technical reports or proposals related to engineering projects.
- Simulate or model fuel cell, motor, or other system information, using simulation software programs.
- Design fuel cell systems, subsystems, stacks, assemblies, or components, such as electric traction motors or power electronics.
- Identify or define vehicle and system integration challenges for fuel cell vehicles.
- Calculate the efficiency or power output of a fuel cell system or process.
- Coordinate fuel cell engineering or test schedules with departments outside engineering, such as manufacturing.
- Authorize release of fuel cell parts, components, or subsystems for production.
- Evaluate the power output, system cost, or environmental impact of new hydrogen or non-hydrogen fuel cell system designs.
- Integrate electric drive subsystems with other vehicle systems to optimize performance or mitigate faults.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $73,144
- 25th percentile
- $83,690
- 50th percentile
- $104,090
- 75th percentile
- $134,956
- 90th percentile
- $167,956
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $104,090 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+11.3%faster than average
2025303,914 jobs
2035 projected338,224 jobs
34,310 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 57.1%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 42.9%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- 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.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- 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.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Propulsion Technicians58 postings
- 02Fuel Cell Engineers38 postings
- 03Battery Engineers29 postings
- 04Engineers/Scientists17 postings
- 05Well Engineers15 postings
- 06Materials Engineers14 postings
- 07Supply Chain Managers13 postings
- 08Fuel Systems Engineers12 postings
- 09Failure Analysis Engineers10 postings
- 10Fuels Accountants10 postings
- 11Fuel Technicians9 postings
- 12Storage Engineers9 postings
- 13Interns8 postings
- 14Controls Engineers7 postings
- 15Engineering Technicians7 postings
- 16Supply Chain Engineers6 postings
- 17Systems Technical Specialists6 postings
- 18Cell Technicians5 postings
- 19Characterization Engineers5 postings
- 20Development Quality Engineers5 postings
Top employers
- 01General Motors89 postings
- 02Tesla63 postings
- 03Plug Power41 postings
- 04Caterpillar31 postings
- 05Alsym Energy16 postings
- 06Stellantis14 postings
- 07Pure Lithium13 postings
- 08Gm Cruise11 postings
- 09Bloom Energy9 postings
- 10Blue Origin9 postings
- 11Eccalon9 postings
- 12Hyundai America Technical Center9 postings
- 13Constellation Energy8 postings
- 14Ford8 postings
- 15UBS8 postings
- 16Ford Global Career Site7 postings
- 17Micron Technology7 postings
- 18Anduril Industries6 postings
- 19SpaceX6 postings
- 20BCforward5 postings
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