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Microsystems Engineers

$104.6K Median Salary 11K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 2.7% Job Growth

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About This Career

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

Reported Job Titles

Control Systems Engineer, MEMS Integration Engineer (Microelectrical Mechanical Integration Engineer), Microsystems Engineer, Process Engineer, Product Design Engineer, Project Design Engineer, Project Engineer, Radio Frequency Design Engineer (RF Design Engineer), System Engineer, Systems Engineer

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension

Written Comprehension

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Oral Expression

Problem Sensitivity

Written Expression

Fluency of Ideas

Information Ordering

Category Flexibility

Near Vision

Originality

Selective Attention

Speech Recognition

Visualization

Mathematical Reasoning

Speech Clarity

Flexibility of Closure

Number Facility

Perceptual Speed

Time Sharing

Visual Color Discrimination

Knowledge

Computers and Electronics

Engineering and Technology

Mathematics

Physics

Design

English Language

Production and Processing

Mechanical

Administration and Management

Chemistry

Skills

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Reading Comprehension

Complex Problem Solving

Systems Analysis

Writing

Judgment and Decision Making

Monitoring

Science

Speaking

Active Learning

Systems Evaluation

Time Management

Mathematics

Learning Strategies

Operations Monitoring

Instructing

Quality Control Analysis

Coordination

Negotiation

Operations Analysis

Service Orientation

Social Perceptiveness

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software

Presentation software

Operating system software

Computer aided design CAD software

Development environment software

Object or component oriented development software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

File versioning software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Internet browser software

Data base user interface and query software

Program testing software

Web page creation and editing software

Requirements analysis and system architecture software

Project management software

Web platform development software

Industrial control software

Tools

Semiconductor process systems

Semiconductor testers

Impedance meters

Spectrometers

Laboratory evaporators

Thickness measuring devices

Binocular light compound microscopes

Drying cabinets or ovens

Signal generators

Calibrated resistance measuring equipment

Scanning electron microscopes

Multimeters

Chemical or gas sterilizers

Ammeters

Network analyzers

Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers

Hydraulic press frames

Fume hoods or cupboards

Bench refractometers or polarimeters

Heated walk in environmental or growth chambers

Electrogravimetry analyzers

Clock timers

Tube furnaces

pH meters

Capacitance meters

X ray diffraction equipment

Vibration testers

Scanning probe microscopes

Electronic measuring probes

Ultra pure water systems

Laboratory hotplates

Isolation glove boxes

Spectrophotometers

Level generators

Surface tension measuring instruments

Analytical balances

Infrared spectrometers

Personal computers

Surface testers

Oscilloscopes

Tumblers or polishers

Laboratory safety furnaces

Modulation meters

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Knowledge

Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
File versioning software: Apache Subversion SVN; Continuous integration software; Git; Version control software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Program testing software: Selenium
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites
Requirements analysis and system architecture software: Unified modeling language UML
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Web platform development software: Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional

Tools

Semiconductor process systems: Contact printers
Semiconductor testers: Linewidth measurement systems; Optical thin film measurement systems; Parametric analyzers
Impedance meters: Return loss calibrator RLC passive component testers
Spectrometers: Spectroscopes
Laboratory evaporators: Thermal evaporators
Thickness measuring devices: Digital thickness gauges
Binocular light compound microscopes:
Drying cabinets or ovens: Drying ovens
Signal generators: Function generators
Calibrated resistance measuring equipment: Digital resistance meters; Resistance meters; Resistivity meters
Scanning electron microscopes: Scanning electron microscopes SEM
Multimeters:
Chemical or gas sterilizers: Ultraviolet ozone cleaners
Ammeters:
Network analyzers: Local area network LAN analyzers
Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers: Rapid thermal annealers RTA
Hydraulic press frames: Hydraulic hot presses
Fume hoods or cupboards: Flow hoods
Bench refractometers or polarimeters: Interferometeric refractormeters
Heated walk in environmental or growth chambers: Heated environmental chambers
Electrogravimetry analyzers: Electrochemical analyzers
Clock timers: Dive timing devices
Tube furnaces: Split-hinge furnaces; Tubular furnaces
pH meters: pH monitors
Capacitance meters: Capacitance testers
X ray diffraction equipment: X ray diffractometers
Vibration testers: Vibration monitors
Scanning probe microscopes: Atomic force microscopes AFM; Scanning acoustic microscopes; Scanning probe microscopes SPM; Scanning tunneling microscopes STM
Electronic measuring probes: Inductive probes
Ultra pure water systems:
Laboratory hotplates: Hotplates; Vacuum hotplates
Isolation glove boxes:
Spectrophotometers:
Level generators: Pulse generators
Surface tension measuring instruments: Drop volume tensiometers; Dynamic contact angle apparatus
Analytical balances: Electronic balances
Infrared spectrometers: Near infrared spectrometers
Personal computers:
Surface testers: Profilometers
Oscilloscopes: Sampling oscilloscopes
Tumblers or polishers: Chemical mechanical polishing CMP systems
Laboratory safety furnaces: Oxidation furnaces
Modulation meters: Time interval analyzers

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