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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Validation Engineers

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

Bright outlookJob zone 4: considerable preparationO*NET 17-2112.02

What the work is

Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.

On a typical day

  • Conduct validation or qualification tests of new or existing processes, equipment, or software in accordance with internal protocols or external standards.
  • Design validation study features, such as sampling, testing, or analytical methodologies.
  • Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
  • Prepare validation or performance qualification protocols for new or modified manufacturing processes, systems, or equipment for production of pharmaceuticals, electronics, or other products.
  • Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
  • Conduct audits of validation or performance qualification processes to ensure compliance with internal or regulatory requirements.

What it pays

$99,110
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $70,810
Experienced workers reach $151,590
  1. $71k10th
  2. $83k25th
  3. $99kMedian
  4. $125k75th
  5. $152k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $70,810, 25th $82,870, Median $99,110, 75th $124,640, 90th $151,590

About 1,670 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.

+24.2%

employment change in the Alamo region, 1,608 to 1,997 jobs · U.S. +11%

143

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 25,200

1,608

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 351,100

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 Comprehension4.5
  2. Writing4.1
  3. Critical Thinking4.1
  4. Speaking4.0
  5. Active Listening4.0
  6. Monitoring4.0
  7. Science4.4
  8. Complex Problem Solving4.0

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. Associate degree5%
  2. Bachelor's degree90%
  3. Master's degree5%

Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

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Does this fit you?

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