Validation Engineers
Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.
Also called: Corporate Quality Engineer · Product Quality Engineer · Quality Assurance Engineer · Quality Engineer · Quality Management Systems Engineer · Reliability Engineer
Median pay (national)
$101,140
$70,000–$157,140 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
350,230
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+11%
~25,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for validation engineers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $157,140 versus $70,000 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $101,140 leaves roughly 55% 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 +11% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 25,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, Alaska pays the most for this role (median $142,980, +41% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $80,120 — a 78% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Amazon Web Services AWS software, Docker, IBM Terraform, JavaScript as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Science
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
- Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
- Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
- Prepare detailed reports or design statements, based on results of validation and qualification tests or reviews of procedures and protocols.
- Maintain validation test equipment.
- Conduct validation or qualification tests of new or existing processes, equipment, or software in accordance with internal protocols or external standards.
- Communicate with regulatory agencies regarding compliance documentation or validation results.
- Prepare, maintain, or review validation and compliance documentation, such as engineering change notices, schematics, or protocols.
- Recommend resolution of identified deviations from established product or process standards.
- Design validation study features, such as sampling, testing, or analytical methodologies.
Tools & technology
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Docker
- IBM Terraform
- JavaScript
- Kubernetes
- Microsoft Azure software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Power BI
- Microsoft Power Platform software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Oracle Java
- Python
- Structured query language SQL
- Amazon DynamoDB
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Design
- Mechanical
- Education and Training