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What is a design verification engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A design verification engineer tests and verifies the functionality of complex hardware or software designs. They work with design engineers to ensure that the final product meets requirements and specifications. This involves designing and developing test plans, executing tests, resolving issues, and documenting results. Design verification engineers also ensure that products meet regulatory standards and industry best practices. They must have an understanding of engineering principles and work independently or as part of a team.

ScoreDesign Verification EngineerUS Average
Salary
8.1

Avg. Salary $117,277

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.8

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 39.94%

Black or African American 4.42%

Hispanic or Latino 9.04%

Unknown 2.83%

White 43.33%

Gender

female 14.66%

male 85.34%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a design verification engineer?

Pros

  • High demand for verification engineers in the industry

  • Opportunities for career growth and advancement

  • Possibility for remote work or flexible schedules

  • Chance to learn and develop new skills constantly

  • High job satisfaction from successful project completion

Cons

  • Can be repetitive work at times, reviewing test results and debugging errors

  • Can be a highly technical and specialized field, which may limit career options in other areas

  • Can involve extensive travel or relocation for job opportunities

  • May require working with difficult or uncooperative team members or clients

  • Can be highly competitive in terms of career advancement opportunities

Design verification engineer career paths

Key steps to become a design verification engineer

  1. Explore design verification engineer education requirements

    Most common design verification engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.0 %

    Master's

    24.8 %

    Associate

    5.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific design verification engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Python9.86%
    UVM8.80%
    Design Verification6.42%
    Architecture6.15%
    SOC5.35%
  3. Complete relevant design verification engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New design verification engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a design verification engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real design verification engineer resumes.
  4. Research design verification engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Develop system tools in Perl to automate test program generation to replace previously unsupport test tool.
    • Manage EDA license forecasting and work with project managers and license operations team to track license resource capability and capacity requirements.
    • Design the functional blocks for the SONET/SDH ASIC using VHDL.
    • Assemble test fixtures, load banks, troubleshoot boards, and perform bench level repair.
  5. Get design verification engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a design verification engineer. The most common roles before becoming a design verification engineer include design engineer, verification engineer team lead and test engineer.
  6. Prepare your design verification engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your design verification engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a design verification engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable design verification engineer resume templates

    Build a professional design verification engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your design verification engineer resume.
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
    Design Verification Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for design verification engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a design verification engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first design verification engineer job

Zippi

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Average design verification engineer salary

The average design verification engineer salary in the United States is $117,277 per year or $56 per hour. Design verification engineer salaries range between $88,000 and $154,000 per year.

Average design verification engineer salary
$117,277 Yearly
$56.38 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do design verification engineers rate their job?

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Design verification engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Hardware Design Engineer's are few intellectuals in a company who has exposure to all the aspects of product life cycle. It needs versatile knowledge of all most of the things. I feel passionate dealing with electronics components and analyzing them. It is a flexible job. It is a Real time job.

Cons

At times software development team questions on hardware design without looking the code running the stuff irritates Must have some knowledge of coding as well


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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