Nanotechnology Engineer
A nanotechnology engineer is someone who works around the smallest, most amazing fragments of science. From storing and altering things on the cellular level, to creating new, tiny pieces of electronics, nanotechnology engineers are the cream of the crop, possessing an acute attention to detail and a strong drive to make things better.
Nanotechnology engineers that work with nanoelectronics will create smaller, more efficient chips, cards, and even smaller computer parts to make products that can do as much as bigger products without so much electronic waste.
Similar Title: Nanotechnologist
Job Overview
Salary
Workplace
How to Start
Job Overview
What does a Nanotechnology Engineer do?
A nanotechnology engineer seeks to learn new things that can change the face of health, science, technology, and the environment on a molecular level. Nanotechnology engineers take advanced supplies and materials and turn them into something new and exciting. They may try to make a once heavy invention work better while weighing less, making the object far more efficient.
Nanotechnology engineers may also choose to work in the medical field creating new gadgets that can fix problems on a scale as small as the molecular level, thus changing the face of medicine forever. Those involved with bio-systems will create ways to store the tiniest amounts of DNA or other biological fragments for testing and manipulation.
Behind the scenes, these engineers must be good at paperwork and detailed description writing. They are responsible for writing extremely detailed reports describing their findings in their specific experiments
Design Skills
Nanotechnology engineers contribute to the design of commercial or industrial products containing nanomaterials. They incorporate technical specs and economic considerations into material designs.
Testing Procedures
These engineers create and reevaluate the testing procedures for materials. They also determine the safety environmental impact of nanomaterials.
Labs & Reports
These engineers prepare labs for testing nanomaterials. They also produce reports, white papers and other documentation to support all findings. These labs and reports are reviewed by supervisors.
Team Player
Nanotechnology engineers oversee the work of other engineers and scientists. They are also responsible for training colleagues and other staff on how to operate certain equipment and devices.
Salary
How much does a Nanotechnology Engineer make?
The average annual pay for a Nanotechnology Engineer in the United States is $95,023 a year. Salaries can be as high as $152,000 and as low as $25,500, the majority of Nanotechnology Engineer salaries currently range between $80,000 (25th percentile) to $102,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $129,000 annually across the United States.
These are 2025 national salary averages and may fluctuate based on location.
Workplace
What does the workplace for a Nanotechnology Engineer look like?
Nanotechnology engineers work with the latest technology in scientific equipment and computers. Since all of the work in nanotechnology is microscopic, it can be expected that the workplace will involve many different high-tech microscopes that will allow the engineer to see things far smaller than are visible to the naked eye.
Attention to detail is very important in this field, and the workplace facilitates that with few distractions and very focused teammates.
The workplace is most likely within a science research facility, a pharmaceutical company, or a medical supplies and equipment company, though there are many engineers who work for semiconductor manufacturing companies.
How to Start
How to become a Nanotechnology Engineer?
There are certain qualifications necessary in order to become a nanotechnology engineer. Most companies or government agencies will require a PhD in biophysics, bioengineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or another field similar to these. There are some jobs that can be attained with just a master’s degree, but they are harder to find and do not pay as generously as those given to engineers with PhDs.
Teamwork is crucial in this field, as engineers are responsible for directing and guiding other engineers in most workplace environments. Though the field is very self-motivated, having strong personal skills to work within this competitive team setting is an absolute must.
Companies looking for nanotechnology engineers expect a candidate to be able to work with global partners and to be able to think with a business-oriented mind. They look for candidates that have excellent leadership skills with a strong knack for problem solving, even on a highly complex level. Public speaking skills are a necessity, as engineers in nanotechnology will have to make announcements about advancements to insiders and outsiders, as well as write reports and essays for the purpose of publication in intellectual and scientific journals.
