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Validation Engineer

Validation Engineer

I-22

I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 17-2112.02

Texas median
whole occupation, 2025
$104,560
work over
40 h a week
55%
load index
from O*NET data
1.7/5
Texas jobs
2024 to 2034
+20.3%

Pay

This level's pay

No headline for this level: records that name this level: only 13 H-1B filings (headline needs 30 or more). The records are listed below with their year and size; the occupation-wide figure further down is for all experience levels.

  • H-1B filings, n = 13, TX+AZ, 13 filings, 2026: $94,848 a year (median of 13 H-1B filings), SOC 17-2112 and job title contains every word of 'Validation Engineer' and no seniority word, TX+AZ, effective 2026-06-30 source
All pay records and context (4)
  • H-1B filings, n = 13, TX+AZ, 13 filings, 2026: $94,848 a year (median of 13 H-1B filings), SOC 17-2112 and job title contains every word of 'Validation Engineer' and no seniority word, TX+AZ, effective 2026-06-30 source
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $80,000 · Level II $114,000 · Level III $124,400 · Level IV $141,300 (721 filings, TX) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $84,000 · Level II $103,000 · Level III $123,885 · Level IV $145,142 (182 filings, AZ) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
  • State of Texas class salary ranges for this occupation (which class equals this rung is not published here): Engineer I $61,184 to $99,658 · Engineer II $65,104 to $106,634 · Engineer III $69,572 to $114,099 · Engineer IV $76,530 to $129,430 · Engineer V $84,182 to $142,374 · Engineer VI $92,600 to $156,612 Fiscal 2026-27 (Sept 1, 2025 - Aug 31, 2027) source

Whole occupation: Validation Engineers (17-2112), Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
  • Series OEUS480000000000017211213 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
  • Based on an estimated 30,980 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000017211201).

Half of all Validation Engineers in Texas earn more than $104,560; the bottom 10% earned less than $67,490 and the top 10% more than $168,670 (May 2025, base pay, about 30,980 jobs). U.S. median $102,440.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Validation Engineers, not level-specific
TWC, BLS

Texas
+20.3% jobs · about 2,390 openings a year (28,510 jobs in 2024)
United States
+11.0% jobs · about 25,200 openings a year (351,100 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
O*NET 31.0
  • Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2018, n = 20 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 1 in 2 work more than 40 hours a week (55%).

Schedule: regular 74% · irregular 26% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 1.7 of 5, our index from O*NET
Method
  • Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.66, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.77, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
  • O*NET OnLine

Body

  • Standing2.35
  • Walking or running1.9
  • Kneeling or crawling1.58
  • Bending or twisting1.55
  • Climbing ladders1.3
  • Keeping balance1.28

Exposure

  • Hazardous equipment2.2
  • Very hot or cold2.05
  • Hazardous conditions1.95
  • Cramped space1.84
  • Outdoors, all weather1.6
  • Protective gear1.45
  • High places1.3
Body 1.66 · exposure 1.77. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License
Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work.
Degree
95% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years of related experience is the most common answer (50% of workers).
O*NET
  • O*NET Related Work Experience, Validation Engineers, O*NET OnLine
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Why this level
Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 4 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

  • M Industrial Engineer O*NET lists Industrial Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.91.
  • M Mechanical Engineer O*NET lists Mechanical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89.
  • I Quality Manager O*NET lists Quality Control Systems Managers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84.
  • I Manufacturing Engineer O*NET lists Manufacturing Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.82.
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What the work is 6 core tasks

Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.

  1. Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
  2. Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
  3. Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
  4. Prepare detailed reports or design statements, based on results of validation and qualification tests or reviews of procedures and protocols.
  5. Maintain validation test equipment.
  6. Conduct validation or qualification tests of new or existing processes, equipment, or software in accordance with internal protocols or external standards.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Active Listening
  • Monitoring
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Science
Sources (4)

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

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Not a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas or any U.S. state. Does not offer engineering services. Exam-prep education only.