What Do Fuel Cell Engineers Do?

Fuel Cell Engineer Definition Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.

Life As a Fuel Cell Engineer

• Identify or define vehicle and system integration challenges for fuel cell vehicles.
• Develop fuel cell materials or fuel cell test equipment.
• Coordinate fuel cell engineering or test schedules with departments outside engineering, such as manufacturing.
• Authorize release of fuel cell parts, components, or subsystems for production.
• Fabricate prototypes of fuel cell components, assemblies, stacks, or systems.
• Define specifications for fuel cell materials.

Fuel Cell Engineer Needed Skills

When polled, Fuel Cell Engineers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Related Job Titles

• Engineering Professor
• Battery Technician
• Senior Stack Engineer
• Fuel Cell Test Engineer
• Fuel Cell Designer

Fuel Cell Engineer Employment Estimates

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 288,800 jobs in the United States for Mechanical Engineers.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.8% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 25,300 new jobs for Fuel Cell Engineers by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 21,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Mechanical Engineers are Michigan, Texas, and California.

Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, West Virginia, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Fuel Cell Engineer Salary

The salary for Mechanical Engineers ranges between about $56,270 and $136,550 a year. The median salary for this occupation is $87,370.

How much do Mechanical Engineers make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alaska	$128,690
District of Columbia	$112,780
New Mexico	$110,210
Maryland	$109,960
California	$107,370
Delaware	$106,220
Texas	$105,570
Colorado	$104,220
Louisiana	$101,810
Virginia	$100,540
Arizona	$98,390
Massachusetts	$98,190
New Hampshire	$97,270
Washington	$96,860
New Jersey	$95,680
Vermont	$94,580
Rhode Island	$94,520
Connecticut	$94,270
South Carolina	$93,730
Maine	$93,310
Illinois	$92,030
New York	$91,820
Michigan	$91,100
Alabama	$90,030
Nevada	$88,950
Oklahoma	$88,190
Utah	$88,150
Tennessee	$87,990
Florida	$87,770
North Carolina	$87,470
Minnesota	$87,030
Idaho	$86,010
Oregon	$85,890
Pennsylvania	$85,740
Mississippi	$85,570
Missouri	$85,450
Georgia	$84,870
Kentucky	$84,380
Wyoming	$84,200
West Virginia	$84,070
Indiana	$82,510
Kansas	$82,210
Hawaii	$81,730
Ohio	$81,020
Nebraska	$80,650
Iowa	$80,530
Wisconsin	$79,360
Montana	$77,140
South Dakota	$76,220
North Dakota	$75,770
Arkansas	$71,730

What Tools & Technology do Fuel Cell Engineers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Fuel Cell Engineers:

• C++
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Word
• C
• National Instruments LabVIEW
• Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
• Minitab
• Microsoft PowerPoint

Where do Fuel Cell Engineers Work?

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons