Fuel Cell Engineers Career, Salary and Skills
Fuel Cell Engineers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $104,110 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 296,810. Wage data is published for 399 locations.
Occupation description
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
O*NET code
17-2141.01
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
National salary and employment
Median annual
$104,110
Hourly median
$50.05
Employment
296,810
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$73,990
10th
$84,130
25th
$104,110
Median
$132,590
75th
$164,340
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Science | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.62 | 4.12 |
Typical tasks
- Provide technical consultation or direction related to the development or production of fuel cell systems.
- Authorize release of fuel cell parts, components, or subsystems for production.
- 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.
- Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance.
Technology
- Ansoft Simplorer
- Ansys Fluent
- ASPEN PLUS
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- C
- C++
- FactSage
- Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software
- Gaussian GaussView
- Gaussian software
- GE Energy GateCycle
- IBM Cloud
- Maplesoft Maple
- MathWorks Simulink
Fuel Cell Engineers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in MIMedian $104,890 · Employment 34,630
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in CAMedian $130,900 · Employment 30,530
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in Detroit, MIMedian $109,470 · Employment 22,500
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in TXMedian $112,410 · Employment 22,080
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in OHMedian $99,100 · Employment 14,390
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in PAMedian $97,920 · Employment 13,550
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in ILMedian $102,680 · Employment 11,790
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in FLMedian $99,980 · Employment 10,740
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in NCMedian $100,720 · Employment 9,560
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $123,900 · Employment 8,780
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in INMedian $99,590 · Employment 8,690
- Fuel Cell Engineers Salary in NYMedian $102,440 · Employment 8,590
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.