Microsystems Engineers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 17-2199.06United States
Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
- Median annual earnings
- $122,888
- Projected change
- +5.4%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 176.9K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
43.7% of the workforce
Growing to 186.44K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What microsystems engineers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Create schematics and physical layouts of integrated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) components or packaged assemblies consistent with process, functional, or package constraints.
- Investigate characteristics such as cost, performance, or process capability of potential microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device designs, using simulation or modeling software.
- Create or maintain formal engineering documents, such as schematics, bills of materials, components or materials specifications, or packaging requirements.
- Conduct analyses addressing issues such as failure, reliability, or yield improvement.
- Plan or schedule engineering research or development projects involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
- Propose product designs involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, considering market data or customer requirements.
- Develop formal documentation for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, including quality assurance guidance, quality control protocols, process control checklists, data collection, or reporting.
- Communicate operating characteristics or performance experience to other engineers or designers for training or new product development purposes.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $63,794
- 25th percentile
- $88,633
- 50th percentile
- $122,888
- 75th percentile
- $165,733
- 90th percentile
- $204,289
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $122,888 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.4%average or slower
2025176,896 jobs
2035 projected186,435 jobs
9,539 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
- 43.7%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 34.2%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 21.8%
- Associate degree
- 0.3%
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Microsystems Engineers7 postings
- 02Module Leads2 postings
- 03Embedded Systems Design Engineers1 postings
- 04Mechanical Engineers1 postings
- 05Principal Systems Engineers1 postings
Top employers
- 01Draper3 postings
- 02The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory3 postings
- 03Apple2 postings
- 04Cs Draper Labs2 postings
- 05Analog Devices1 postings
- 06Biolinq1 postings
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