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Job outlook for compatibility test engineers in the United States
Are compatibility test engineer jobs in demand?
Compatibility test engineer job and salary trends over time
Compatibility test engineer jobs over time
Compatibility test engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 359 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 58 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 331 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 28 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 23 | 0.00% |
Average compatibility test engineer salary over time
Compatibility test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $87,957 | $42.29 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $85,058 | $40.89 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $83,133 | $39.97 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $81,512 | $39.19 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $79,670 | $38.30 | +1.5% |
Compatibility test engineer jobs by state
Most common states for compatibility test engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 282 | 41% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,067 | 13% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 694 | 12% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 685 | 11% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 103 | 11% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 764 | 10% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 699 | 10% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 303 | 10% |
| 9 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,678 | 9% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 116 | 9% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 54 | 9% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 334 | 8% |
| 13 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 347 | 7% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 70 | 7% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 446 | 6% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 319 | 6% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 223 | 6% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 42 | 6% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 34 | 6% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 39 | 5% |
Most common cities for compatibility test engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cupertino | 1 | 2% | $112,364 |
| 2 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $95,785 |
Compatibility Test Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of compatibility test engineer experts
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Xavier University
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Liberty University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Northern Michigan University
Elon University
Merrimack College
Marietta College
University of Maryland
University of Baltimore
What Compatibility Test Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Todd Allen: - analyzing systems, including technical and social implications, of engineering solutions
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer
Professor and ChairXavier University
Department Of Physics
What skills stand out on Compatibility Test Engineer resumes?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Programming languages, numerical design and simulation tools, knowledge of various measurement equipment.
What soft skills should all Compatibility Test Engineers possess?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Communication, teamwork.
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Professor of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
College of Engineering
How do you envision technology impacting Compatibility Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor: Adopting new technology should be an exciting (and expected) reality for those with an engineering degree. The virtual space will continue to grow as folks seek jobs and work online more. But what holds paramount, no matter what particular technological changes arise, is the ability to adapt-and to demonstrate that critical aptitude in their application documents and through their interviews, always highlighting those moments they've done so and articulating their propensity for learning.
What experience really stands out on Compatibility Test Engineer resumes?
Robert Rich: -Certification such as green belt, black-belt, machine learning, Lean Manufacturing, and APICS supply chain/inventory
-Specialized undergraduate research projects that go deep into various leading-edge topics like integrating AI with manufacturing and logistics
-Consulting experience/real projects within areas of undergraduate research
Dr. Galen Duree
Head of the Department of Physics and Optical Engineering and ProfessorRose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Department of Physics and Optical Engineering
What experience really stands out on Compatibility Test Engineer resumes?
Dr. Galen Duree: It depends on what you are applying for. If you are working on product development, then internships or co-ops provide a definite advantage. If you are working on developing new ways of doing things, research experiences in academia or companies are advantageous. Either case, this shows a certain maturity in your career path - you have participated in an activity related to the career you are currently pursuing.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Compatibility Test Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Galen Duree: People with knowledge, even introductory experience, in quantum effects, quantum computing, optics in general (communication, measurements, imaging, illumination, detection), material science and engineering, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, will be in high demand.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Compatibility Test Engineers?
Michael Rudisill: It depends on what you really mean by enduring, but for all practical purposes, once the pandemic has passed, the economy will return, and anyone in the engineering field who wants a job will have many opportunities. Obviously, the short-term effect can be brutal for new graduates as jobs are not as plentiful as "usual"-but in the long term, those that persevere will end up in great careers. In some ways, it will be harder on the senior engineers who haven't stayed employed, as they are missing out on years when their income should be the highest. New graduates are missing relatively low earning years, so the long-term effects should not be as bad looking at lifetime earnings.
How do you envision technology impacting Compatibility Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
Michael Rudisill: Technology will continue to advance-which will increase the need for trained engineers. Even areas such as sales that not many people would think would be looking for engineers when dealing with technologically advanced products need people who understand how the product works, perform, etc.-in other words-trained engineers.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Compatibility Test Engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill: From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.
What type of skills will young Compatibility Test Engineers need?
John Ring: While our universities consistently educate engineering students with hard skills and strong engineering fundamentals, tomorrow's engineers need to be strong communicators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Our professional environments are filled with data and information, and the constraint is typically how much time individuals can dedicate to solving a problem. At Elon University, we educate tomorrow's engineers to have the hard skills necessary to analyze the information and situations, apply critical thinking techniques to determine ways to solve the issue, and then concisely and efficiently communicate with colleagues as solutions are being set in motion.
How do you envision technology impacting Compatibility Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
John Ring: An engineering student learns "how to learn" during their time in college. Technology will evolve, and tomorrow's engineers must learn at the same pace so that new technology can be applied to solve a problem.
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mechanical EngineeringMerrimack College
Departmet of Mechanical Engineering
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Compatibility Test Engineers?
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.: In terms of job opportunities, no. It may take longer to secure that first job, and it may be an employer's job market for the next several years. This means starting salaries may not be as high as a year ago, and yearly raises may be near zero up to 3% (depending on career fields and markets). Additionally, some benefits, such as tuition reimbursement, may not be available at some companies.
However, I strongly suspect that things will get better (as a wild guess) in 3 - 5 years as the economy rebounds. For the immediate future, the full economic effects of the pandemic have not been fully realized. As companies restructure to deal with their impact on their bottom lines and workers are laid-off, more experienced employees are entering the job marking and seeking jobs. This is very similar to the financial system crash around 2008, so that could be referenced for a similar environment, especially its effect on the Midwest. Job seekers must be persistent.
For enduring changes, the pandemic has presented a great opportunity to change the nature of where we do work. This experiment has been tried before at places like Yahoo, for example. Pre-pandemic, some companies allowed workers to work from home several times per month under flexible scheduling. I believe the coronavirus pandemic will make these types of work options a larger part of the business workplace culture. Additionally, many companies are actively working to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. With this renewed attention, there may be more opportunities for workers that are women, BIPOC, LBGQT+, and others to rewrite and form new workplace norms to have new working environments. I strongly encourage people to take their seats at this table and create the world you wish to work in.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Compatibility Test Engineers?
Ben Ebenhack: I believe that the impact of the pandemic on the US economy is still unfolding and that we won't be able to see any kind of robust turnaround until vaccines are widely available and seen, in practice, to be effective. Until that time, I suspect that we'll continue to see a lot of volatility as investors speculate about recovery, reopening, etc., but the trends will probably vacillate.
Once the pandemic is clearly seen to be reasonably well-controlled, I think that there will be a good deal of pent-up demand for energy and its services. I expect to see a modest recovery in energy prices, but that may not translate to jobs for a few years. Ultimately, the world's need for energy will drive prices up, and there will probably be another boom. Everyone should remember that half of humanity (~3.5 billion people) lack access to modern energy, on which development depends. With global economic recovery, I would expect that to apply considerable upward pressure on energy (and related resource) demands for the next several decades. Alternative energy will continue to grow, but I don't think it can grow as fast as some optimists expect.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Compatibility Test Engineers?
Craig Carignan: Yes, it will have an enduring impact on aerospace grads, especially those going into aeronautical engineering. The airline industry has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and commercial aircraft manufacture has come to a screeching halt. That means not just the airplane manufacturers being affected but all of the hundreds of aircraft parts suppliers too. The other factor is that people are learning how to attend conferences and meetings virtually, through applications like Zoom and Teams, which also saves a lot of money on travel. So even when things do start returning to normal, I think that the demand for air travel will not return to the same levels as before.
Some long term impact may also be felt by the space industry. Even though there are quarantine precautions in place (before and after a flight), human space flight might be seen as riskier due to possible infection from viruses that may not show symptoms. So we might try to do more from the ground using robotics. Also, the density of workers in a lot of places in the aerospace industry is very high, and I would expect telecommuting to become more common.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Compatibility Test Engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti: Cities that are typically associated with technology will probably remain hubs of innovation, especially if they have local administrations that are favorable towards entrepreneurship. However, the recent need for companies to leverage the ability to work remotely has opened up the possibilities of workers who may not otherwise be willing to relocate. This trend is probably here to stay for a while, so the ability of graduates to work with virtual collaborators will bring tech jobs to parts of the country that are not typically known for innovation. Even though there probably will not be clusters that will identify new equivalents of Silicon Valley out of nowhere, the fact that the reach of potential employees has extended beyond their geographical immediacy will create major opportunities for any location.