Microsystems Engineers
Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
Also called: Control Systems Engineer · MEMS Integration Engineer (Microelectrical Mechanical Integration Engineer) · Microsystems Engineer · Process Engineer · Product Design Engineer · Project Design Engineer
Median pay (national)
$117,750
$62,840–$183,510 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
150,750
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.1%
~9,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for microsystems engineers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $183,510 versus $62,840 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $117,750 leaves roughly 56% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.1% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 9,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $167,270, +42% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $58,710 — a 185% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this 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.
- Communicate operating characteristics or performance experience to other engineers or designers for training or new product development purposes.
- Develop formal documentation for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, including quality assurance guidance, quality control protocols, process control checklists, data collection, or reporting.
- Evaluate materials, fabrication methods, joining methods, surface treatments, or packaging to ensure acceptable processing, performance, cost, sustainability, or availability.
- Refine final microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) design to optimize design for target dimensions, physical tolerances, or processing constraints.
Tools & technology
- Adobe Photoshop
- Apple macOS
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Bash
- C
- C#
- C++
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Git
- JavaScript
- Linux
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Windows Server
- Oracle Java
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Design
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical