What do they do?

Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.

Also known as:

Corporate Quality Engineer, Product Quality Engineer, Quality Assurance Engineer, Quality Engineer, Quality Management Systems Engineer, Reliability Engineer, Supplier Quality Engineer, Validation Specialist

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Industrial Engineers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • 11.7%

    Change

    Select a state to see its job growth rate ranking
    22,800

    Job Openings

    Select a state to see its net job growth ranking

Best colleges for Validation Engineers

Search

Colleges with the most graduates that become Validation Engineers

Search

Looking for colleges that offer a specific major? Use the College Match Tool to find your best-matched schools and discover your estimated Net Price!

Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Bachelor's degree  (52%)
  • Master's degree  (19%)
  • Some college, no degree  (11%)
  • Associate's degree  (8%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (6%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (3%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Validation Engineers

Select Type of Degree:

  • #1
    • Degrees Granted

      5,537
    • Female Students

      1,976
    • Male Students

      3,561
    • Median Starting Salary

      $61,467
  • #2
    • Degrees Granted

      1,388
    • Female Students

      294
    • Male Students

      1,094
    • Median Starting Salary

      $51,600
  • #3
    • Degrees Granted

      724
    • Female Students

      228
    • Male Students

      496
    • Median Starting Salary

      $66,400
  • #4
    • Degrees Granted

      437
    • Female Students

      82
    • Male Students

      355
    • Median Starting Salary

      $62,000
  • #5
    • Degrees Granted

      329
    • Female Students

      138
    • Male Students

      191
    • Median Starting Salary

      $61,100

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • 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.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • 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.
  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking 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.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • 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).
  • Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Review technical documents to plan work.
  • Analyze test or validation data.
  • Prepare detailed work plans.
  • Document technical design details.
  • Maintain test equipment.
  • Conduct validation tests of equipment or processes.
  • Communicate technical information to suppliers, contractors, or regulatory agencies.
  • Maintain operational records or records systems.
  • Inspect finished products to locate flaws.
  • Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
  • Devise research or testing protocols.
  • Operate computer systems.
  • Resolve operational performance problems.
  • Inspect operational processes.
  • Collect samples of raw materials or finished products.
  • Direct quality control activities.
  • Update technical knowledge.
  • Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
  • Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine 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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.

College Raptor Loading Screen College Raptor Loading Screen