Manufacturing career directory
Validation Engineers
Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.
Also called: Corporate Quality Engineer, Product Quality Engineer, Quality Assurance Engineer, Quality Engineer, Quality Management Systems Engineer, Reliability Engineer, Supplier Quality Engineer, Validation Specialist, Cloud Site Reliability Engineer, Electrical Reliability Engineer, Engineer, Equipment Engineer, Equipment Validation Engineer, Equipment Validation Specialist, Failure Analyst, Process Development Engineer, Process Engineer, Qualification Engineer, Quality Assurance Automation Engineer (QA Automation Engineer), Quality Control Engineer, Service Reliability Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, System Validation Engineer, Systems Engineer, Systems Reliability Engineer, Validation Engineer, Verification and Validation Engineer
This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.
What the worker does
- Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
- Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
- Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
- Prepare detailed reports or design statements, based on results of validation and qualification tests or reviews of procedures and protocols.
- Maintain validation test equipment.
- Conduct validation or qualification tests of new or existing processes, equipment, or software in accordance with internal protocols or external standards.
- Communicate with regulatory agencies regarding compliance documentation or validation results.
- Prepare, maintain, or review validation and compliance documentation, such as engineering change notices, schematics, or protocols.
- Recommend resolution of identified deviations from established product or process standards.
- Design validation study features, such as sampling, testing, or analytical methodologies.
Skills, machines and equipment
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Science
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Social Perceptiveness
- Operations Monitoring
Education and training
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (90.00% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET Job Zone 4: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships
Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.
Salary reference
83,600–129,250 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 17-2112.
Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.
Career advancement
- Build design, analysis, validation, and project experience; explore senior technical specialist, project lead, or engineering-management paths with the required qualifications.
- Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.
How Do I Get This Job?
- Review the skills and responsibilities above.
- Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (90.00% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- O*NET Job Zone 4: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
- Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.
View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.
Related career information
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Sources and limitations
O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.