JobAfterNext

Microsystems Engineers

Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Microsystems Engineers separately. These are the figures for Engineers, All Other (17-2199), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$122,930
Employment, U.S.154,070
Median hourly wage$59.10
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$66,810$90,970$122,930$158,090$189,950
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama3,460$152,5501.65
Alaska200$142,3900.61
Arizona1,720$102,2800.54
Arkansas820$76,9400.63
California28,610$130,8501.59
Colorado2,540$132,5900.89
Connecticut2,430$124,1101.44
Delaware$103,580
District of Columbia3,560$151,9205.12
Florida8,600$105,4100.87
Georgia4,120$112,2600.85
Hawaii1,100$122,8001.77
Idaho560$130,9700.67
Illinois2,520$111,9300.42
Indiana1,540$120,8800.49
Iowa1,100$103,0900.71
Kansas780$76,1000.55
Kentucky500$99,8300.25
Louisiana6,310$99,0703.29
Maine590$120,4300.93
Maryland7,340$129,7702.68
Massachusetts2,850$131,2600.79
Michigan7,700$121,0001.77
Minnesota1,290$108,8500.44
Mississippi480$111,0300.42
Missouri1,850$102,9800.63
Montana240$97,4700.47
Nebraska300$88,4900.29
Nevada870$103,7800.57
New Hampshire610$128,1300.90
New Jersey4,540$132,4501.07
New Mexico2,190$162,0702.54
New York5,760$117,6000.60
North Carolina4,270$112,4500.87
North Dakota220$100,2500.52
Ohio7,000$120,4701.27
Oklahoma860$119,8100.51
Oregon2,030$123,2201.04
Pennsylvania3,250$108,9500.54
Rhode Island380$117,0800.77
South Carolina1,280$110,4900.56
South Dakota110$112,2600.23
Tennessee4,400$96,6401.36
Texas10,820$115,8100.78
Utah1,750$110,3201.02
Vermont390$126,5501.29
Virginia5,060$148,1601.24
Washington3,580$134,5701.02
West Virginia660$118,8000.95
Wisconsin690$110,3600.24
Wyoming110$113,0500.40

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Electrical Engineers40.977
2Fuel Cell Engineers40.976
3Electronics Engineers, Except Computer40.975
4Photonics Engineers40.973
5Computer Hardware Engineers40.967
6Robotics Engineers40.965
7Nanosystems Engineers50.965
8Automotive Engineers40.963
9Materials Engineers40.963
10Petroleum Engineers40.960

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Microsystems Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Electrical EngineersOperations Analysis3.250.977
Fuel Cell EngineersOperations Analysis3.120.976
Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerOperations Analysis3.500.975
Computer Hardware EngineersOperations Analysis4.000.967
Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansOperations Analysis3.250.959
Mechanical EngineersOperations Analysis4.380.957
Validation EngineersOperations Analysis4.000.949
Agricultural EngineersOperations Analysis3.250.946
Wind Energy EngineersOperations Analysis3.620.945
Mechanical DraftersOperations Analysis3.120.941

All 14

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Microsystems Engineers, excluding software Microsystems Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Dassault Systemes CATIA14 of 2010.8x
MathWorks Simulink9 of 2021.9x
Rapid prototyping software6 of 2034.6x
Microsoft Visio14 of 204.3x
Hardware description language HDL4 of 2046.2x
Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software4 of 2036.9x
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software8 of 206.0x
Mathsoft Mathcad5 of 2011.5x
AVEVA InTouch HMI4 of 2020.5x
Programmable logic controller PLC software5 of 2011.0x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.75
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.25
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.00 4.12
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.88 4.25
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.75 4.00
WritingEssential skill 3.75 4.00
SpeakingEssential skill 3.62 4.00
ScienceEssential skill 3.62 3.88
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.62 3.75
MonitoringEssential skill 3.62 3.75
Active LearningEssential skill 3.50 3.88
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.50 3.88
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.50 3.62
MathematicsEssential skill 3.38 3.88
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.25 3.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
InstructingTransferable skill 3.12 3.50
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.50
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00not rated
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.38
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.62 2.75
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.62 2.50
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.50 2.38
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.38 2.62
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.38 2.38
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.25 2.38
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.25 2.25
RepairingTransferable skill 2.00 1.75
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.88 1.62
InstallationTransferable skill 1.38not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Computers and Electronics 4.62 6.00
Engineering and Technology 4.60 6.17
Mathematics 4.07 5.65
Physics 3.96 5.40
Design 3.92 5.21
English Language 3.47 4.45
Production and Processing 3.25 3.79
Mechanical 3.19 4.32
Administration and Management 2.99 4.07
Chemistry 2.98 3.83
Customer and Personal Service 2.67 3.23
Telecommunications 2.67 3.00
Public Safety and Security 2.51 2.76
Personnel and Human Resources 2.37 3.01
Economics and Accounting 2.15 2.34
Sales and Marketing 2.15 2.21
Communications and Media 2.14 2.38
Administrative 2.12 2.75
Law and Government 2.10 2.22
Education and Training 1.89 2.08
Biology 1.88 2.19
Medicine and Dentistry 1.57 1.00
Geography 1.51 1.38
Transportation 1.44 1.25
Psychology 1.34not rated
Sociology and Anthropology 1.34not rated
Foreign Language 1.31not rated
Building and Construction 1.27not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.17not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.16not rated
History and Archeology 1.15not rated
Fine Arts 1.13not rated
Food Production 1.00not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.12 4.75
Written Comprehension 4.12 4.62
Deductive Reasoning 3.88 4.50
Oral Expression 3.88 4.50
Inductive Reasoning 3.88 4.38
Written Expression 3.75 4.50
Problem Sensitivity 3.75 4.25
Information Ordering 3.62 4.12
Fluency of Ideas 3.62 4.00
Category Flexibility 3.50 4.00
Originality 3.50 4.00
Near Vision 3.50 3.88
Speech Recognition 3.50 3.62
Visualization 3.50 3.62
Selective Attention 3.50 3.38
Mathematical Reasoning 3.38 3.75
Speech Clarity 3.38 3.62
Number Facility 3.25 3.88
Flexibility of Closure 3.25 3.50
Perceptual Speed 3.25 3.38
Time Sharing 3.00 3.25
Visual Color Discrimination 3.00 3.25
Memorization 2.88 3.25
Speed of Closure 2.88 3.00
Far Vision 2.88 2.75
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.62 3.00
Finger Dexterity 2.62 2.88
Control Precision 2.62 2.62
Hearing Sensitivity 2.50 2.75
Manual Dexterity 2.50 2.75
Auditory Attention 2.38 2.50
Depth Perception 2.25 2.25
Trunk Strength 2.12 1.88
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.00 1.50
Multilimb Coordination 1.88 1.25
Rate Control 1.88 1.25
Extent Flexibility 1.75 1.25
Reaction Time 1.75 1.12
Static Strength 1.75 1.12
Explosive Strength 1.62 0.88
Spatial Orientation 1.38not rated
Response Orientation 1.12not rated
Stamina 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 89
  • ANSYS LS-DYNA
  • ANSYS Multiphysics
  • Anisotropic Crystalline Etch Simulation ACES
  • Ansys Fluent
  • Beige Bag Software B2 Spice
  • CAzM
  • COMSOL Multiphysics
  • Cadence PSpice
  • Circuit simulation software
  • Coventor ARCHITECT3D
  • Coventor CoventorWare
  • Dassault Systemes Abaqus
  • Debugging software
  • Dolphin Integration SMASH
  • FLorida Object Oriented Design Simulator FLOODS
  • FLorida Object Oriented Process Simulator FLOOPS
  • Finite element analysis FEA software
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • IRSIM
  • IntelliCAD
  • Intusoft ICAP
  • KLA-Tencor PROLITH
  • Linear Technology LTSpice
  • MEMSCAP MEMS Pro
  • MSC Software Patran
  • Mentor Graphics LeonardoSpectrum
  • Microelectromechanical systems MEMS simulation software
  • Microwind Dsch
  • Minitab
  • Molecular visualization software
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • PISCES IIB
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • Penzar TopSPICE
  • Process simulation software
  • Real time operating system RTOS software
  • SAS JMP
  • SUPREM
  • Schematic capture software
  • Siemens ModelSim
  • Siemens PLM software
  • SimWindows
  • Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
  • Simulation software
  • Static Free Software Electric VLSI Design System
  • Statistical process control SPC software
  • Syborg Systems MicroTec
  • Synopsys HSPICE
  • Synopsys Taurus Medici
  • Tanner EDA L-Edit
  • Tanner EDA T-SPICE
  • Transas Group PISCES2
  • Unified modeling language UML
  • Verilog
  • Very high speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL simulation software
  • Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL
  • Web browser software
  • WinSpice
  • Xcircuit

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Microsystems Engineers separately. These are the figures for Engineers, All Other (17-2199), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Lexington Park, MD1,02014.58$166,230
Lake Charles, LA1,33013.19$94,810
Huntsville, AL3,11011.77$155,630
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL8306.66$132,650
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL1,6206.65$127,400
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL4605.07$115,210
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA4404.78$142,130
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH1,6504.48$142,080
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA4,9704.42$169,650
Baton Rouge, LA1,7804.39$101,720

More metros, other thresholds