Occupation Summary

Validation Engineers

O*NET 17-2112.02

Description:

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

Annual Wages:
$109,587.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 24.60%.
Education Level:
Bachelor's Degree. According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
STEM

  1. Conduct validation or qualification tests of new or existing processes, equipment, or software in accordance with internal protocols or external standards.
  2. Design validation study features, such as sampling, testing, or analytical methodologies.
  3. Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
  4. Prepare validation or performance qualification protocols for new or modified manufacturing processes, systems, or equipment for production of pharmaceuticals, electronics, or other products.
  5. Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
  6. Conduct audits of validation or performance qualification processes to ensure compliance with internal or regulatory requirements.
  7. Create, populate, or maintain databases for tracking validation activities, test results, or validated systems.
  8. Direct validation activities, such as protocol creation or testing.
  9. Prepare detailed reports or design statements, based on results of validation and qualification tests or reviews of procedures and protocols.
  10. Resolve testing problems by modifying testing methods or revising test objectives and standards.
  11. Assist in training equipment operators or other staff on validation protocols and standard operating procedures.
  12. Communicate with regulatory agencies regarding compliance documentation or validation results.
  13. Coordinate the implementation or scheduling of validation testing with affected departments and personnel.
  14. Maintain validation test equipment.
  15. Participate in internal or external training programs to maintain knowledge of validation principles, industry trends, or novel technologies.
  16. Prepare, maintain, or review validation and compliance documentation, such as engineering change notices, schematics, or protocols.
  17. Validate or characterize sustainable or environmentally friendly products, using electronic testing platforms.
  18. Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
  19. Recommend resolution of identified deviations from established product or process standards.
  20. Draw samples of raw materials, intermediate products, or finished products for validation testing.
  21. Devise automated lab validation test stations or other test fixtures or equipment.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Validation Engineers employed Annual Growth Rate
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing 7.5 1.38
Architectural, engineering, and related services 7.2 0.66
Electronic instrument manufacturing 5 0.94
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing 4.9 1.78
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing 4.9 -0.78
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing 3.8 1.51
Scientific research and development services 3.7 0.65
Plastics product manufacturing 3.4 1.26
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing 2.9 1.48
Motor vehicle manufacturing 2.3 1.46
Employment services 2 1.04


Labor Market Information


2023 Statewide average hourly wage $52.69
2023 National average hourly wage $49.59
2022 National employment 327,300
2022 Texas employment 23,207
Texas projected employment by 2032 28,917
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 1,996




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
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.
85.20%
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
83.00%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
75.00%
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
74.00%
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
73.00%
Design
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
72.00%
Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
67.00%
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
65.00%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
63.00%
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.
63.00%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
82.40%
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
80.00%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
80.00%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
80.00%
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.
77.60%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
77.60%
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
75.00%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
75.00%
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
65.00%
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
62.40%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
82.40%
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
82.40%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
82.40%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
80.00%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
80.00%
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
80.00%
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.
80.00%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
77.60%
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).
75.00%
Category Flexibility
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
75.00%


  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    -- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording Information
    -- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Analyzing Data or Information
    -- Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Working Conditions
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.



Tools

Flow sensors: Flow sensors;

Frequency analyzers: Spectrum analyzers;

Gel documentation systems: Gel electrophoresis systems;

Integrated circuit testers: In-target probes ITP; Logic analyzers;

Microcontrollers: Programmable logic controllers PLC;

Multimeters: Multimeters;

Network analyzers: Network protocol analyzers; Tektronix Communications Network & Service Analyzer NSA;

Oscilloscopes: Oscilloscopes;

Pressure sensors: Pressure sensors;

Protocol analyzers: Protocol analyzers;

Spectrophotometers: Spectrophotometers;

Thermal conductivity analyzers: Thermal validation systems;


Technology

Analytical or scientific software: Cadence Incisive Enterprise Simulator; Cadence Incisive Enterprise Specman Elite Testbench; IndySoft Gage InSite Enterprise; Laboratory information management system LIMS; Logic simulators; Minitab; QUALCOMM eXtensible Diagnostic Monitor QxDM; Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE; Simulation software; Statistical software; The MathWorks MATLAB; Synopsys electronic design software;

Application server software: Red Hat WildFly; Kubernetes; Docker; GitHub;

Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation; Splunk Enterprise;

Compliance software: Sparta Systems TrackWise;

Computer aided design CAD software: PTC Creo Parametric; Dassault Systemes CATIA; Dassault Systemes SolidWorks;

Configuration management software: Chef; IBM Terraform; Puppet; Perforce Helix software;

Content workflow software: Atlassian JIRA;

Data base management system software: Apache Solr; Amazon DynamoDB; Apache Cassandra; Elasticsearch; MongoDB; MySQL; NoSQL; Teradata Database;

Data base user interface and query software: Structure query language SQL; Structured query language SQL; Prometheus; Microsoft SQL Server; Microsoft Access; Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2; Amazon Web Services AWS software;

Development environment software: Apache Kafka; Apache Maven; Apache Ant; C; Go; Microsoft Azure software; IBM Rational ClearQuest; Microsoft PowerShell; Microsoft Visual Basic; Microsoft Visual Studio; National Instruments LabVIEW; Ruby; Verilog; Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL;

Document management software: EMC Documentum;

Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Email software; Microsoft Outlook;

Enterprise application integration software: Jenkins CI; Extensible markup language XML; Atlassian Bamboo;

Expert system software: Ansible software;

File versioning software: Apache Subversion SVN; Git;

Graphical user interface development software: Grafana Labs Grafana Cloud;

Industrial control software: GE Intelligent Platforms Proficy HMI/SCADA iFIX;

Network monitoring software: Nagios; Wireshark;

Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software: Virtual private networking VPN software;

Object or component oriented development software: R; Scala; Oracle Java; Python; Perl; C#; C++; Apache Groovy;

Object oriented data base management software: PostgreSQL;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Operating system software: Linux; Operating system software; Microsoft Windows; Bash; Red Hat Enterprise Linux; Shell script; Ubuntu; UNIX; UNIX Shell;

Portal server software: Apache HTTP Server;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio;

Program testing software: JUnit; Bugzilla; Hewlett Packard LoadRunner; Hewlett Packard QuickTest Professional; Windows kernel debuggers; Selenium;

Project management software: Project management software; Microsoft Project;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Web platform development software: JavaScript; Node.js; Django; Apache Tomcat; Apache Struts; PHP; Ruby on Rails;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Validation Engineers include:
  • 17-2141.02 Automotive Engineers
  • 17-2071.00 Electrical Engineers
  • 17-2072.00 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
  • 17-2112.01 Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists
  • 17-2112.00 Industrial Engineers
  • 17-2112.03 Manufacturing Engineers
  • 17-2141.00 Mechanical Engineers
  • 17-2199.05 Mechatronics Engineers
  • 11-3051.01 Quality Control Systems Managers
  • 15-1253.00 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers


Sources of Additional Information
  • For more information about industrial engineers, visit: Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers
  • For more information about general engineering education and career resources, visit: American Society for Engineering Education
  • Technology Student Association
  • For more information about licensure as an industrial engineer, visit: National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
  • National Society of Professional Engineers
  • For more information about certification as a manufacturing engineer, visit: Society of Manufacturing Engineers
  • For more information about accredited engineering programs, visit: ABET
  • For more information about human factors engineers, visit: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
  • Occupational Requirements Survey

  • For a profile highlighting selected BLS data on occupational requirements, see
  • Industrial engineers (PDF)
  • Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists
  • Industrial Engineers
  • Manufacturing Engineers
  • Validation Engineers

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.