Research Engineers develop, investigate and evaluate new products and equipment to be used in engineering industries. They are involved in a wide range of research activities and the development of new technologies. They are also responsible for improving existing technical processes and creating new innovative technologies. Research Engineers find improvement solutions in response to specific problems.
Research engineers usually report to a supervisor. They work in an array of industries, including petroleum, aerospace, and the automotive industry. A successful research engineer should have technical skills, critical thinking skills, research skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
The typical workweek for a research engineer is 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. When they have to deliver on urgent project deadlines, they may work late evenings and over the weekends.
How to Become a Research Engineer
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a research engineer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $40.73 an hour? That's $84,714 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 12,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Research Engineer Do
There are certain skills that many research engineers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed listening skills, mechanical skills and creativity.
How To Become a Research Engineer
If you're interested in becoming a research engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 64.8% of research engineers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 23.0% of research engineers have master's degrees. Even though most research engineers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a research engineer. When we researched the most common majors for a research engineer, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on research engineer resumes include doctoral degree degrees or associate degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a research engineer. In fact, many research engineer jobs require experience in a role such as research assistant. Meanwhile, many research engineers also have previous career experience in roles such as internship or graduate research assistant.
Research Engineer Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a research engineer can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as process engineer, progress to a title such as project engineer and then eventually end up with the title senior engineering manager.
Average Salary for a Research Engineer
What Am I Worth?
Top Colleges for Research Engineers
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
8. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Top Skills For a Research Engineer
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 18.5% of research engineers listed python on their resume, but soft skills such as listening skills and mechanical skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Research Engineer Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Research Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Research Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Research Engineer Demographics
Research Engineer Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among research engineers, 18.3% of them are women, while 81.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among research engineers is White, which makes up 71.4% of all research engineers.
- The most common foreign language among research engineers is Spanish at 25.6%.
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Best States For a Research Engineer
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a research engineer. The best states for people in this position are California, Washington, Delaware, and Oregon. Research engineers make the most in California with an average salary of $113,209. Whereas in Washington and Delaware, they would average $112,296 and $101,020, respectively. While research engineers would only make an average of $100,023 in Oregon, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. California
$113,209
Avg. Salary
2. Washington
$112,296
Avg. Salary
3. District of Columbia
$116,613
Avg. Salary
How Do Research Engineer Rate Their Jobs?
Top Research Engineer Employers
Most Common Employers For Research Engineer
| Rank  | Company  | Average Salary  | Hourly Rate  | Job Openings  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $168,546 | $81.03 | 160 |
| 2 | $141,869 | $68.21 | 227 | |
| 3 | Palo Alto Networks | $135,316 | $65.06 | 77 |
| 4 | Apple | $132,703 | $63.80 | 86 |
| 5 | Exxon Mobil | $119,416 | $57.41 | 96 |
| 6 | Chevron | $117,047 | $56.27 | 62 |
| 7 | Yahoo | $116,660 | $56.09 | 52 |
| 8 | Stanford University | $101,591 | $48.84 | 87 |
| 9 | Ford Motor | $101,297 | $48.70 | 349 |
| 10 | Bosch USA | $98,101 | $47.16 | 93 |
Research Engineer Videos
Becoming a Research Engineer FAQs
Can an engineer go into research?
Yes, an engineer can go into research. Research in the engineering field is typically limited to new materials and new product testing. They can work in a range of exciting industries such as the automotive industry, aeronautics, deep-sea exploration, and seismology.
Can everyone become an engineer?
No, not everyone can become an engineer. It takes time, dedication and a bachelor's degree from an accredited engineering program at a college or university. After graduating, you can get licensed to work as a Professional Engineer.
How much do engineering researchers make?
Engineering researchers make $85,000 a year, on average ($41.15 an hour). However, there is a considerable range in the earning potential of an engineering researcher, starting from as little as $69,000 a year to as much as $160,000 a year. Factors such as location and Industry impact how much an engineering researcher can make.
How much money does a Ph.D. engineer make?
A Ph.D. engineer makes $122,127 a year, on average. The range and how much a Ph.D. engineer can earn starts from as little as $72,000 a year to as much as $180,000 a year. Factors such as years of experience and location all impact how much a Ph.D. engineer can make.
What qualifications do you need to be a researcher?
A researcher will almost always need a bachelor's degree. However, in many positions, a master's degree or another post-graduate degree may be necessary or preferred. Some positions will require as much as a doctoral degree.
Researchers must be up to date on their field and have demonstrable knowledge of current research best practices. A researcher must also have a solid understanding of research methodologies, ethics, and technologies.
Additionally, researchers may need some kind of research experience. Internships and laboratory experience throughout one's educational career can offer a significant head start to the prospective researcher.