Manufacturing career directory
Fuel Cell Engineers
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
Also called: Engineer, Fuel Cell Engineer, Research Engineer, Stack Engineer, Design Cell Engineer, Fuel Cell Designer, Fuel Cell Systems Engineer, Fuel Cell Test Engineer, Space Battery Technician, Subsystems Engineer
This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.
What the worker does
- Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance.
- Provide technical consultation or direction related to the development or production of fuel cell systems.
- Characterize component or fuel cell performances by generating operating maps, defining operating conditions, identifying design refinements, or executing durability assessments.
- Plan or implement fuel cell cost reduction or product improvement projects in collaboration with other engineers, suppliers, support personnel, or customers.
- Conduct fuel cell testing projects, using fuel cell test stations, analytical instruments, or electrochemical diagnostics, such as cyclic voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy.
- Analyze fuel cell or related test data, using statistical software.
- Conduct post-service or failure analyses, using electromechanical diagnostic principles or procedures.
- Define specifications for fuel cell materials.
- Recommend or implement changes to fuel cell system designs.
- Validate design of fuel cells, fuel cell components, or fuel cell systems.
Skills, machines and equipment
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Systems Evaluation
- Mathematics
Education and training
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree (57.14% 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
84,130–132,590 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 17-2141.
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 (57.14% 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.