How To Become A Fuel Cell Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a fuel cell engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Fuel cell engineers design and build structures known as fuel cells that generate electricity through a chemical hydrogen reaction. Many engineers, including fuel cell engineers, share some main tasks, including the responsibility for the production of design plans. They track the building of prototypes, test and adjust their products so that their development is carried out as desired. They also record their efforts and will take part in the manufacturing process until the product is finished.

On a daily basis, fuel cell engineers often write scientific papers or suggestions on engineering projects. They may also perform analysis using electromechanical or methodological diagnosis. Not only that, but they also provide professional advice and recommendations regarding the manufacturing of the systems.

If you are good at using statistical tools and enjoy hands-on activities, then becoming a fuel cell engineer may be the right career path. This requires an extensive amount of thinking and analyzing. You must also be ready to read a lot of research on fuel cells, attend seminars or workshops, and be good at discussing innovations and competitive goods with your colleagues. Being a creative thinker is a critical skill for this role.

ScoreFuel Cell EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.2

Avg. Salary $92,756

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 16.95%

Black or African American 3.08%

Hispanic or Latino 7.87%

Unknown 4.51%

White 67.48%

Gender

female 11.54%

male 88.46%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a fuel cell engineer

Explore fuel cell engineer education requirements

Most common fuel cell engineer degrees

Bachelor's

67.5 %

Master's

21.1 %

Associate

5.3 %

Start to develop specific fuel cell engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Analysis	37.39%
FEA	8.34%
LabVIEW	8.25%
PEM	5.82%
Test Results	3.90%

Complete relevant fuel cell engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fuel cell 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 fuel cell engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fuel cell engineer resumes.

Research fuel cell engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead manufacturing development and production efforts around screen printing, coating and brazing of SOFC ceramic and metal components.
Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Design FMEA on performance characteristics of a fuel cell.
Evaluate alternative, low-cost membranes for advance PEM fuel cell systems.

Apply for fuel cell engineer jobs

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

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