Microsystems Engineers
Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Systems Analysis
- Speaking
- Science
Key knowledge
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Design
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
What the work involves
- Consider environmental issues when proposing product designs involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
- Design or develop energy products using nanomaterials or nanoprocesses, such as micro-nano machining.
- Design or develop industrial air quality microsystems, such as carbon dioxide fixing devices.
- Design or develop sensors to reduce the energy or resource requirements to operate appliances, such as washing machines or dishwashing machines.
- Design sensors or switches that require little or no power to operate for environmental monitoring or industrial metering applications.
- Research or develop emerging microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems to convert nontraditional energy sources into power, such as ambient energy harvesters that convert environmental vibrations into usable energy.
- Plan or schedule engineering research or development projects involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
- Communicate operating characteristics or performance experience to other engineers or designers for training or new product development purposes.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Realistic, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Master's Degree (34.2% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (38.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (64%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Microsystems Engineers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
- Projection education uses SOC 17-2199 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 81% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Lower on dealing with the public than 55% of occupations compared | 56% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 68% of occupations compared | 62% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 76% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 87% of occupations compared | 74% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 87% of occupations compared | 49% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 89% of occupations compared | 84% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 69% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0.26%
- Occasional contact with others: 1.73%
- Contact with others about half the time: 23.11%
- Contact with others most of the time: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Constant contact with others: 18.33%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 25.91%
- Important: 18.05%
- Very important: 56.04%
- Extremely important: 0%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0.48%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 13.75%
- Very important: 23.93%
- Extremely important: 61.84%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 1.24%
- Limited freedom: 12.27%
- Some freedom: 28.75%
- A lot of freedom: 57.74%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 73.94%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 25.54%
- Every day: 0.52%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Conflict situations
- Never: 13.88%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 49.02%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 36.84%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0.26%
- Every day: 0%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 2.85%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 84.15%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0%
- Every day: 0%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 12.83%
- Fairly serious: 40.07%
- Serious: 23.76%
- Very serious: 23.08%
- Extremely serious: 0.26%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
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O*NET-SOC 17-2199.06 · SOC 17-2199 (detailed_parent, medium confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8