How To Become An Engineering Laboratory Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is an engineering laboratory manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Yi Yang PhD

The average engineering laboratory manager salary is $105,891. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an electrical engineering major. It usually takes more than 10 years of experience to become an engineering laboratory manager. Engineering laboratory managers with a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 4,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an engineering laboratory manager?

Yi Yang PhD

Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Abington

For new graduates beginning their careers in engineering, I would advise them to consider the broader impact of their work and look for opportunities to expand their management potential. While engineering is a highly technical field, it's important to recognize the value of leadership roles in preserving a culture of innovation. By taking on these positions, you can help ensure that companies prioritize long-term innovation over short-term gains (cutting R&D to boost the balance sheet), thus preserving the engineering culture that drives meaningful progress.

ScoreEngineering Laboratory ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.8

Avg. Salary $105,891

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 12.19%

Black or African American 3.09%

Hispanic or Latino 8.83%

Unknown 4.67%

White 71.07%

Gender

female 10.53%

male 89.47%

Age - 48

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 - 48

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an engineering laboratory manager

Explore engineering laboratory manager education requirements

Most common engineering laboratory manager degrees

Bachelor's

62.9 %

Associate

19.3 %

Master's

11.6 %

Start to develop specific engineering laboratory manager skills

Skills	Percentages
R	7.32%
Engineering Lab	5.77%
Lab Equipment	5.60%
Test Equipment	5.22%
Windows	4.84%

Complete relevant engineering laboratory manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New engineering laboratory managers 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 an engineering laboratory manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real engineering laboratory manager resumes.

Research engineering laboratory manager duties and responsibilities

Manage use of compact radar range facility for RF testing.
Manage the laboratory's IP address scheme and network connections.
Manage the lab that has capabilities of ISO, ISTA and ASTM standard testing.
Manage and oversee client and project management of geotechnical engineering projects.

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