Career Overview
Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.
Also Known As
- Quality Assurance Engineer
- Quality Engineer
- Quality Management Systems Engineer
- Supplier Quality Engineer
Alternate Job Titles
- Cloud Site Reliability Engineer
- Corporate Quality Engineer
- Electrical Reliability Engineer
- Engineer
- Equipment Engineer
- Equipment Validation Engineer
- Equipment Validation Specialist
- Failure Analyst
- Process Development Engineer
- Process Engineer
- Product Quality Engineer
- Qualification Engineer
- Quality Assurance Automation Engineer (QA Automation Engineer)
- Quality Assurance Engineer
- Quality Control Engineer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Design
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Science
- Complex Problem Solving
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Written Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Inductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
- Category Flexibility
- Speech Clarity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
- Support
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Amazon DynamoDB
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
- Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Ansible software
- Apache Cassandra
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Maven
- Apache Subversion SVN
- Apache Tomcat
Tools & Equipment
- Flow sensors
- Gel electrophoresis systems
- In-target probes ITP
- Logic analyzers
- Multimeters
- Network protocol analyzers
- Oscilloscopes
- Pressure sensors
- Programmable logic controllers PLC
- Protocol analyzers
- Spectrophotometers
- Spectrum analyzers
- Tektronix Communications Network & Service Analyzer NSA
- Thermal validation systems
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
Wages reported for the broader Industrial Engineers occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Validation Engineers.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $70,000 |
| Median | $101,140 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $157,140 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 350,230
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Industrial Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $101,140
Quality Control Systems Managers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $121,440
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $102,610
Manufacturing Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $101,140
Mechanical Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $102,320
Is This Career Right for You?
Discover your perfect career match with our free comprehensive assessment! Get personalized recommendations based on your interests, skills, and values.
Take the Free Career Assessment →
Want Personalized Guidance?
For customized career recommendations, college selection strategies, and expert application support, explore the MehtA+ Admissions Consulting Program. We help students identify the right opportunities and navigate the path to achieving their academic and career goals.
Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.