All About Fuel Cell Engineers
Job Description & Duties Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
Life As a Fuel Cell Engineer: What Do They Do?
- Design fuel cell systems, subsystems, stacks, assemblies, or components, such as electric traction motors or power electronics.
- Develop fuel cell materials or fuel cell test equipment.
- Write technical reports or proposals related to engineering projects.
- Conduct fuel cell testing projects, using fuel cell test stations, analytical instruments, or electrochemical diagnostics, such as cyclic voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy.
- Fabricate prototypes of fuel cell components, assemblies, stacks, or systems.
- Plan or implement fuel cell cost reduction or product improvement projects in collaboration with other engineers, suppliers, support personnel, or customers.
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What a Fuel Cell Engineer Should Know
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.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
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.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Design Cell Engineer
- Research Engineer
- Senior Scientist
- Mobile Battery Technician
- Senior Stack Engineer
Fuel Cell Engineer Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 288,800 jobs in the United States for Fuel Cell Engineer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 25,300 new jobs for Fuel Cell Engineer by 2026. The BLS estimates 21,200 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Fuel Cell Engineer are Nevada, Utah, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Maine, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Fuel Cell Engineer Make?
The typical yearly salary for Fuel Cell Engineers is somewhere between $56,270 and $136,550.

Fuel Cell Engineers who work in District of Columbia, New Mexico, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Fuel Cell Engineers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $90,030 |
Alaska | $128,690 |
Arizona | $98,390 |
Arkansas | $71,730 |
California | $107,370 |
Colorado | $104,220 |
Connecticut | $94,270 |
Delaware | $106,220 |
District of Columbia | $112,780 |
Florida | $87,770 |
Georgia | $84,870 |
Hawaii | $81,730 |
Idaho | $86,010 |
Illinois | $92,030 |
Indiana | $82,510 |
Iowa | $80,530 |
Kansas | $82,210 |
Kentucky | $84,380 |
Louisiana | $101,810 |
Maine | $93,310 |
Maryland | $109,960 |
Massachusetts | $98,190 |
Michigan | $91,100 |
Minnesota | $87,030 |
Mississippi | $85,570 |
Missouri | $85,450 |
Montana | $77,140 |
Nebraska | $80,650 |
Nevada | $88,950 |
New Hampshire | $97,270 |
New Jersey | $95,680 |
New Mexico | $110,210 |
New York | $91,820 |
North Carolina | $87,470 |
North Dakota | $75,770 |
Ohio | $81,020 |
Oklahoma | $88,190 |
Oregon | $85,890 |
Pennsylvania | $85,740 |
Rhode Island | $94,520 |
South Carolina | $93,730 |
South Dakota | $76,220 |
Tennessee | $87,990 |
Texas | $105,570 |
Utah | $88,150 |
Vermont | $94,580 |
Virginia | $100,540 |
Washington | $96,860 |
West Virginia | $84,070 |
Wisconsin | $79,360 |
Wyoming | $84,200 |
What Tools do Fuel Cell Engineers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Fuel Cell Engineers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Minitab
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- C
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Statistical software
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
- Maplesoft Maple
- The MathWorks Simulink
- ANSYS FLUENT
- Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software
- C++
- Gaussian software
- GE Energy GateCycle
- Ansoft Simplorer
How do I Become a Fuel Cell Engineer?
Individuals working as a Fuel Cell Engineer have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Fuel Cell Engineer?

Where do Fuel Cell Engineers Work?

Below are examples of industries where Fuel Cell Engineers work:

References:
Image Credit: Michel Villeneuve via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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