Research Engineers develop, investigate and evaluate new products and equipment to be used in engineering industries. They are involved in a wide range of research activities and the development of new technologies. They are also responsible for improving existing technical processes and creating new innovative technologies. Research Engineers find improvement solutions in response to specific problems.
Research engineers usually report to a supervisor. They work in an array of industries, including petroleum, aerospace, and the automotive industry. A successful research engineer should have technical skills, critical thinking skills, research skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
The typical workweek for a research engineer is 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. When they have to deliver on urgent project deadlines, they may work late evenings and over the weekends.
What is a Research Engineer?
What Does a Research Engineer Do
There are certain skills that many research engineers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed listening skills, mechanical skills and creativity.
How To Become a Research Engineer
If you're interested in becoming a research engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 64.8% of research engineers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 23.0% of research engineers have master's degrees. Even though most research engineers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Research Engineer Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a research engineer can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as process engineer, progress to a title such as project engineer and then eventually end up with the title senior engineering manager.
Average Salary for a Research Engineer
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Research Engineer Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active research engineer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where research engineers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Research Engineer Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 11,465 | $125,386 |
| 2 | Texas | 4,347 | $79,259 |
| 3 | Virginia | 2,811 | $86,654 |
| 4 | Florida | 2,786 | $65,583 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,535 | $92,950 |
| 6 | Illinois | 2,379 | $80,017 |
| 7 | New York | 1,984 | $103,687 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 1,927 | $70,332 |
| 9 | Washington | 1,893 | $116,380 |
| 10 | Ohio | 1,863 | $76,380 |
| 11 | Georgia | 1,804 | $71,573 |
| 12 | Michigan | 1,792 | $83,627 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 1,782 | $96,349 |
| 14 | New Jersey | 1,686 | $89,549 |
| 15 | Colorado | 1,653 | $75,194 |
| 16 | Oregon | 1,501 | $95,052 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 1,500 | $78,891 |
| 18 | Arizona | 1,430 | $83,868 |
| 19 | Maryland | 1,223 | $93,950 |
| 20 | Indiana | 1,121 | $75,343 |
| 21 | Missouri | 1,016 | $65,566 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 950 | $76,356 |
| 23 | Tennessee | 905 | $74,776 |
| 24 | Utah | 834 | $76,070 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 766 | $98,082 |
| 26 | Alabama | 636 | $68,552 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 574 | $70,976 |
| 28 | Iowa | 542 | $80,446 |
| 29 | Kansas | 455 | $60,475 |
| 30 | Kentucky | 432 | $66,886 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | 405 | $78,668 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 405 | $66,802 |
| 33 | Nebraska | 402 | $73,597 |
| 34 | New Mexico | 394 | $79,273 |
| 35 | Louisiana | 365 | $73,734 |
| 36 | Nevada | 358 | $80,109 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 331 | $82,413 |
| 38 | Idaho | 327 | $90,314 |
| 39 | Arkansas | 327 | $62,611 |
| 40 | Delaware | 310 | $102,584 |
| 41 | West Virginia | 232 | $92,773 |
| 42 | Montana | 224 | $74,573 |
| 43 | Vermont | 220 | $77,873 |
| 44 | Mississippi | 217 | $61,897 |
| 45 | Maine | 215 | $89,621 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 172 | $65,155 |
| 47 | Hawaii | 166 | $82,949 |
| 48 | North Dakota | 161 | $73,676 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 128 | $67,959 |
| 50 | Alaska | 100 | $82,790 |
Top Colleges for Research Engineers
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
8. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Top Skills For a Research Engineer
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 17.9% of research engineers listed python on their resume, but soft skills such as listening skills and mechanical skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Research Engineer Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Research Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Research Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Research Engineer Demographics
Research Engineer Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among research engineers, 18.3% of them are women, while 81.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among research engineers is White, which makes up 71.4% of all research engineers.
- The most common foreign language among research engineers is Spanish at 25.6%.
Work Experience Programs For Research Engineers
Virtual work experience programs replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In only a few hours, learn the relevant tools necessary to complete a typical work day at that company. Virtual work experience programs are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required!
Company: Engineers Without Borders UK
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 4-5 hours
Company: Standard Bank
Cost: Free
Duration: 4-4.5 hours
Company: Blackbird Australia
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-10 hours
Company: Walmart India
Cost: Free
Duration: 3.5-4 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Tata
Cost: Free
Duration: 3.5-4.5 hours
Online Courses For Research Engineer That You May Like
Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation...
Harness the Power of Machine Learning in R for Data/Text Mining, & Natural Language Processing with Practical Examples...
Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...
Best States For a Research Engineer
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a research engineer. The best states for people in this position are California, Washington, New York, and Delaware. Research engineers make the most in California with an average salary of $125,386. Whereas in Washington and New York, they would average $116,380 and $103,687, respectively. While research engineers would only make an average of $102,584 in Delaware, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. California
$125,386
Avg. Salary
2. District of Columbia
$117,490
Avg. Salary
3. Washington
$116,380
Avg. Salary
How Do Research Engineer Rate Their Jobs?
Top Research Engineer Employers
Most Common Employers For Research Engineer
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $154,091 | $74.08 | 160 |
| 2 | $144,689 | $69.56 | 227 | |
| 3 | Apple | $144,645 | $69.54 | 86 |
| 4 | Palo Alto Networks | $133,933 | $64.39 | 77 |
| 5 | Yahoo | $124,238 | $59.73 | 52 |
| 6 | Chevron | $121,277 | $58.31 | 62 |
| 7 | General Electric | $115,981 | $55.76 | 69 |
| 8 | Exxon Mobil | $115,689 | $55.62 | 96 |
| 9 | Bosch USA | $110,818 | $53.28 | 93 |
| 10 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise | $101,310 | $48.71 | 50 |
Research Engineer Videos
Becoming a Research Engineer FAQs
Can An Engineer Go Into Research?
Yes, an engineer can go into research. Research in the engineering field is typically limited to new materials and new product testing. They can work in a range of exciting industries such as the automotive industry, aeronautics, deep-sea exploration, and seismology.
Can Everyone Become An Engineer?
No, not everyone can become an engineer. It takes time, dedication and a bachelor's degree from an accredited engineering program at a college or university. After graduating, you can get licensed to work as a Professional Engineer.
How Much Do Engineering Researchers Make?
Engineering researchers make $85,000 a year, on average ($41.15 an hour). However, there is a considerable range in the earning potential of an engineering researcher, starting from as little as $69,000 a year to as much as $160,000 a year. Factors such as location and Industry impact how much an engineering researcher can make.
How Much Money Does A Ph.d. Engineer Make?
A Ph.D. engineer makes $122,127 a year, on average. The range and how much a Ph.D. engineer can earn starts from as little as $72,000 a year to as much as $180,000 a year. Factors such as years of experience and location all impact how much a Ph.D. engineer can make.
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Researcher?
A researcher will almost always need a bachelor's degree. However, in many positions, a master's degree or another post-graduate degree may be necessary or preferred. Some positions will require as much as a doctoral degree.