Microsystems Engineers
Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
Microsystems Engineers research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. The role reports a median annual salary of $117,750 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.49 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include electricity principles, engineering principles, design drawings, electrical engineering, mathematics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £48,776 a year for Engineering professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,653 to £61,717 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2129). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Microsystems Engineers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
No single fixed route is listed for this career. These Indian degrees lead to it, according to the US CIP–SOC education-to-occupation crosswalk; open a degree for its entrance exams and colleges.[1]
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Electronics and Communication Engineering — B.Tech / B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering (four years)
Entrance exams: JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, MHT CET, KCET, WBJEE, AP EAPCET, TS EAPCET
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Mechatronics and Robotics — B.Tech in Mechatronics Engineering (four years)
Entrance exams: JEE Main, MET, SRMJEEE, VITEEE, MHT CET
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CIP 2020 – SOC 2018 crosswalk (NCES / BLS) (read on 2026-09-27)
8 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Design
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
What you'd actually do
- Create schematics and physical layouts of integrated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) components or packaged assemblies consistent with process, functional, or package constraints.
- Investigate characteristics such as cost, performance, or process capability of potential microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device designs, using simulation or modeling software.
- Create or maintain formal engineering documents, such as schematics, bills of materials, components or materials specifications, or packaging requirements.
- Conduct analyses addressing issues such as failure, reliability, or yield improvement.
- Plan or schedule engineering research or development projects involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
- Propose product designs involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, considering market data or customer requirements.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Microsystems Engineers do?
Research, design, develop, or test microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
How much does Microsystems Engineers earn?
The median annual salary for Microsystems Engineers in the US is $117,750.
What is the job outlook for Microsystems Engineers?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 158,800 workers.
How do I become microsystems engineers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Microsystems Engineers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include electricity principles, engineering principles, design drawings, electrical engineering, mathematics, microsystem test procedures. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Microsystems Engineers?
Our AI-durability model gives Microsystems Engineers a score of 0.49 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Microsystems Engineers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.