Architecture & Engineering
Nanosystems Engineers
Also called: Process Development Engineer, Research Engineer
US median pay
$122,930
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.7%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
8,800
166,700 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Design, develop, or supervise the production of materials, devices, or systems of unique molecular or macromolecular composition, applying principles of nanoscale physics and electrical, chemical, or biological engineering.
What they do day to day
- Provide scientific or technical guidance or expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others, using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems.
- Supervise technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production.
- Conduct research related to a range of nanotechnology topics, such as packaging, heat transfer, fluorescence detection, nanoparticle dispersion, hybrid systems, liquid systems, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, optoelectronics, or nanolithography.
- Synthesize, process, or characterize nanomaterials, using advanced tools or techniques.
- Prepare reports, deliver presentations, or participate in program review activities to communicate engineering results or recommendations.
- Design or conduct tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems.
- Create designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems or atomic force microscopes.
- Write proposals to secure external funding or to partner with other companies.
- Generate high-resolution images or measure force-distance curves, using techniques such as atomic force microscopy.
- Develop processes or identify equipment needed for pilot or commercial nanoscale scale production.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.6/5
- Systems Evaluation3.4/5
- Operations Analysis3.2/5
- Technology Design3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
Knowledge
- Engineering and Technology4.6/5
- Physics4.6/5
- Chemistry4.3/5
- Mathematics4.1/5
- Computers and Electronics3.8/5
- English Language3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Doctoral degree57%
- Bachelor's degree14%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.