Validation Engineers in Virginia
Considering working as a Validation Engineers in Virginia? Here’s what you need to know. Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination. Excludes “Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors” (17-2111).
What do Validation Engineers Make in Virginia?
The validation engineers working in Virginia, the median annual wage is $99,990 per year (or about $48.07/hour).Earnings range from $66,380 at the 10th percentile to $154,590 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,380 | $31.91 |
| 25th percentile | $78,900 | $37.93 |
| Median (50th) | $99,990 | $48.07 |
| 75th percentile | $128,870 | $61.96 |
| 90th percentile | $154,590 | $74.32 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Virginia compared to the national average — is 0.57, suggesting fewer validation engineers per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, validation engineers earn a median of $70,019 per year ($33.66/hour), above the Virginia median.
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 284,979 validation engineers nationwide. In Virginia alone, approximately 5,240 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 4,950 validation engineers.
Top Virginia Metros for Validation Engineers
The largest metro-area employers of validation engineers in Virginia.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 1,130 | $99,920 |
| Richmond, VA | 830 | $100,720 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 430 | $113,070 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 410 | $85,510 |
| Roanoke, VA | 330 | $89,960 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 150 | $90,990 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 90 | $105,470 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 90 | $93,700 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 70 | $85,920 |
Top States for Validation Engineers Employment
View the states that employ the most validation engineers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 31,850 |
| Texas | 29,620 |
| California | 25,830 |
| Ohio | 22,310 |
| Minnesota | 18,000 |
| Illinois | 16,590 |
| Florida | 15,310 |
| Wisconsin | 12,660 |
| New York | 12,640 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,550 |
| North Carolina | 11,620 |
| Indiana | 10,990 |
| Massachusetts | 10,650 |
| Alabama | 8,040 |
| Georgia | 7,410 |
| Arizona | 7,320 |
| South Carolina | 7,270 |
| Tennessee | 7,200 |
| Washington | 6,800 |
| New Jersey | 6,280 |
Highest-Paying States for Validation Engineers
Where validation engineers earn the most: validation engineers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $142,980 |
| Louisiana | $126,960 |
| Oregon | $124,560 |
| California | $123,070 |
| Wyoming | $122,540 |
| Washington | $119,670 |
| New Mexico | $119,390 |
| District of Columbia | $118,960 |
| Delaware | $118,670 |
| Idaho | $112,490 |
Skills
Top validation engineers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for validation engineers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks include:
- Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
- 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.
- Recommend resolution of identified deviations from established product or process standards.
- Design validation study features, such as sampling, testing, or analytical methodologies.
- Prepare validation or performance qualification protocols for new or modified manufacturing processes, systems, or equipment for production of pharmaceuticals, electronics, or other products.
- Create, populate, or maintain databases for tracking validation activities, test results, or validated systems.
Work Activities
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Getting Information
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Processing Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Working with Computers
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2, Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, Apache Cassandra, Apache Kafka, Apache Maven, Apache Subversion SVN In-demand technologies: Amazon Web Services AWS software, Docker
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Several college majors map to this occupation:
- Industrial Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Engineering-Related Fields
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Careers similar to validation engineers include:
- Quality Control Systems Managers
- Software Developers
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
- Penetration Testers
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
Also Known As
Cloud Site Reliability Engineer, Corporate Quality Engineer, Electrical Reliability Engineer, Engineer, Equipment Engineer, Equipment Validation Engineer, Equipment Validation Specialist, Failure Analyst, Process Development Engineer, Process Engineer, Product Quality Engineer, Qualification Engineer, Quality Assurance Automation Engineer (QA Automation Engineer), Quality Assurance Engineer, Quality Control Engineer.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 17-2112.02