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Job outlook for laser engineers in the United States
Are laser engineer jobs in demand?
Laser engineer job and salary trends over time
Laser engineer jobs over time
Laser engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 568 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 569 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 569 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 530 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 491 | 0.00% |
Average laser engineer salary over time
Laser engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,319 | $41.02 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $81,737 | $39.30 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $80,037 | $38.48 | --0.3% |
| 2022 | $80,260 | $38.59 | --0.1% |
| 2021 | $80,301 | $38.61 | +1.5% |
Laser engineer jobs by state
Most common states for laser engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 266 | 38% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,303 | 19% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,335 | 16% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 658 | 16% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 150 | 16% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,110 | 15% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 469 | 15% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 202 | 15% |
| 9 | California | 39,536,653 | 5,696 | 14% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 837 | 14% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 739 | 13% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 732 | 13% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 81 | 11% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 70 | 11% |
| 15 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,018 | 10% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 711 | 10% |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 637 | 10% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 363 | 10% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 169 | 10% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 109 | 10% |
Most common cities for laser engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milpitas | 2 | 3% | $104,890 |
| 2 | Livermore | 1 | 1% | $104,922 |
Laser Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of laser engineer experts
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Florida Institute of Technology
Augusta University
Professor Alejandro Ojeda
ProfessorWhat will help Laser Engineers increase their earning potential?
Professor Alejandro Ojeda: Accept the fact that this is only the beginning of your journey. Despite how well prepared and knowledgeable you are coming out of engineering school, there is still so much to learn and discover. Keep an open mind. Make it your ethos to become approachable and coachable. You will now have the time and latitude to actively pursue your interests and grow as an engineer. Learn something new every day. You’d be amazed at how many seasoned engineering professionals are willing to teach you and train you if you are willing to ask.
Colin Briskey
Visiting Assistant Professor of VoiceUniversity of Massachusetts - Lowell
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Laser Engineer?
Colin Briskey: While I would give slightly different advice for someone who is soon to graduate, has graduated and is looking for a job, or has graduated and is starting a job, there are some universal pieces of advice that I've found useful.1) Your environment should be full of opportunities. Take advantage of them. Whether there are technical/soft skill training opportunities inside/outside the institution, or opportunities to simply observe a senior personnel doing what you hope to do one day, pursue the opportunities that interest you and match with your professional goals the most. If you find yourself in an organization that doesn't create opportunities for their employees/students, you may want to look for another organization. 2) Along those lines, find your people. There are a seemingly infinite number of quotes that reflect the sentiment, but the idea is that you'll be influenced most by those around you; not the geographical region or the size/shape of your desk. As you look toward your next position/opportunity, consider how the values of that institution match with yours. If they don't, there's no amount of pay and compensation that will keep you happy in that position after 3-5 years.
What Laser Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Colin Briskey: Like the associated curricula, Biomedical Engineering jobs are so multi-disciplinary that this is a difficult question to answer. I'll speak to an emerging intersection within Biomedical Engineering; between cell and tissue engineering and drug development. The FDA has recently gained congressional authorization and further signaled that in vitro models may now serve as Drug Development Tools (DDTs) and, in some cases, take the place of small animal testing. Once the FDA releases the detailed criteria for qualifying in vitro DDTs, there will be a strong push within industry toward developing qualifying tissue models and the internal infrastructure necessary to apply them at scale. The skill sets necessary to thrive in that emerging market will be aseptic culture techniques, development and/or operation of multiplexed bioreactors, extracellular electrophysiology and impedance spectroscopy, and induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation, to name a few. Additionally, there will be new positions related to the regulatory compliance of qualifying and using qualified DDTs.
James Brenner
Associate ProfessorFlorida Institute of Technology
Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Laser Engineer job market given the pandemic?
James Brenner: Anything COVID-related is obviously a priority. Most BME's are qualified to move into UV disinfection, but don't realize it. I employ several BME's for an UV LED disinfection company myself. BME's need to cross-train to include more CAD, computer programming, and making (3D printing, laser cutting, etc.) skills.
What's a good job out of college for Laser Engineers?
Scott Wise: Any job in the health care professions would be a good job upon graduation from college. The BLS expects health care to be the fastest growing employment industry between 2014 and 2024. This means not only better paying jobs but more secure jobs as well for those who are interested in helping those in need of health care in their communities.