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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Microsystems Engineers

Part of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, in the Engineering and Technology pathway.

Job zone 5: extensive preparationO*NET 17-2199.06

What the work is

Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.

On a typical day

  • Plan or schedule engineering research or development projects involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
  • Communicate operating characteristics or performance experience to other engineers or designers for training or new product development purposes.
  • Create or maintain formal engineering documents, such as schematics, bills of materials, components or materials specifications, or packaging requirements.
  • Propose product designs involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, considering market data or customer requirements.
  • Investigate characteristics such as cost, performance, or process capability of potential microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device designs, using simulation or modeling software.
  • Develop formal documentation for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, including quality assurance guidance, quality control protocols, process control checklists, data collection, or reporting.

What it pays

$117,620
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $79,240
Experienced workers reach $160,020
  1. $79k10th
  2. $96k25th
  3. $118kMedian
  4. $139k75th
  5. $160k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $79,240, 25th $95,540, Median $117,620, 75th $139,010, 90th $160,020

About 760 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+11.9%

employment change in the Alamo region, 959 to 1,073 jobs · U.S. +2%

68

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 9,300

959

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 158,800

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Reading Comprehension4.8
  2. Active Listening4.3
  3. Critical Thinking4.1
  4. Complex Problem Solving4.3
  5. Writing4.0
  6. Systems Analysis4.0
  7. Speaking4.0
  8. Science3.9

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. Bachelor's degree44%
  2. Master's degree34%
  3. Doctoral or professional22%

Job zone 5, extensive preparation: A graduate or professional degree, usually after a bachelor's.

Alamo programs that lead here

  • Northeast Lakeview
  • Northwest Vista
  • San Antonio
  1. Engineering

    Transfer pre-major · Science & Technology

  2. Engineering

    Transfer pre-major · Science & Technology

  3. Engineering

    Transfer pre-major · Science & Technology

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