Validation Engineers Career, Salary and Skills
Validation Engineers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $102,440 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 365,740. Wage data is published for 403 locations.
Occupation description
Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.
O*NET code
17-2112.02
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$102,440
Hourly median
$49.25
Employment
365,740
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.50 |
| Writing | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Science | 3.75 | 4.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Mathematics | 3.12 | 3.62 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
Technology
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Amazon DynamoDB
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
- Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Ansible software
- Apache Ant
- Apache Cassandra
- Apache Groovy
- Apache HTTP Server
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Maven
- Apache Solr
- Apache Struts
Validation Engineers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Validation Engineers Salary in CAMedian $124,600 · Employment 32,680
- Validation Engineers Salary in MIMedian $101,680 · Employment 30,990
- Validation Engineers Salary in TXMedian $104,560 · Employment 30,980
- Validation Engineers Salary in OHMedian $100,060 · Employment 23,480
- Validation Engineers Salary in ILMedian $100,540 · Employment 18,640
- Validation Engineers Salary in MNMedian $102,660 · Employment 17,580
- Validation Engineers Salary in Detroit, MIMedian $104,110 · Employment 17,350
- Validation Engineers Salary in FLMedian $101,610 · Employment 14,050
- Validation Engineers Salary in Minneapolis, MNMedian $104,730 · Employment 13,970
- Validation Engineers Salary in PAMedian $99,560 · Employment 13,180
- Validation Engineers Salary in WIMedian $96,980 · Employment 13,070
- Validation Engineers Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $101,760 · Employment 12,750
Related careers
- Software DevelopersNational median $135,980
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial EquipmentNational median $74,090
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansNational median $78,190
- Automotive Engineering TechniciansNational median $74,510
- Penetration TestersNational median $116,580
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and TechniciansNational median $74,510
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and TechniciansNational median $82,890
- Quality Control AnalystsNational median $62,280
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.