State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Fuel Cell Engineer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Fuel Cell Engineers is $104,110 a year ($50.05/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 9.1% through 2034, with about 18,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-2141Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $104,110
- Projected growth
- +9.1%
- Openings a year
- 18,100
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Engineer, Fuel Cell Engineer, Research Engineer, Stack Engineer.
How much do Fuel Cell Engineers make?
10th percentile$73,990
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$84,130
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$104,110
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$132,590
Upper quartile
90th percentile$164,340
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $104,110 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $50.05/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $113,610 |
| People employed | 296,810 |
Versus all US occupations
At $104,110, Fuel Cell Engineers earn 104% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $53,130 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
The median is typical for the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $164,340 or more while the bottom 10% earn $73,990, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 82% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Mexico pays the most at $157,710, and still leads at $171,030 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Fuel Cell Engineers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $157,710 | $171,030 | 2,710 |
| District of Columbia | $133,300 | $121,291 | 510 |
| California | $130,900 | $118,226 | 30,530 |
| Delaware | $125,130 | $125,371 | 610 |
| Colorado | $124,430 | $120,745 | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $124,340 | $121,474 | 380 |
| Maryland | $122,870 | $117,065 | 6,550 |
| Louisiana | $119,540 | $135,522 | 1,890 |
| Massachusetts | $119,300 | $112,806 | 7,680 |
| Wyoming | $117,750 | $127,035 | 230 |
Is Fuel Cell Engineer a growing career?
Fuel Cell Engineers9.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+9.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Fuel Cell Engineers to change 9.1% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.9× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 26,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 18,100 openings are projected each year, 6.2% of the 293,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
How to become a Fuel Cell Engineer
Mechanical engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or mechanical engineering technology. Mechanical engineers who sell services publicly must be licensed in all states and the District of Columbia.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as fuel cell engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree57.1%
- Master's Degree42.9%
What does a Fuel Cell Engineer do?
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance.
- Provide technical consultation or direction related to the development or production of fuel cell systems.
- Characterize component or fuel cell performances by generating operating maps, defining operating conditions, identifying design refinements, or executing durability assessments.
- Plan or implement fuel cell cost reduction or product improvement projects in collaboration with other engineers, suppliers, support personnel, or customers.
- Conduct fuel cell testing projects, using fuel cell test stations, analytical instruments, or electrochemical diagnostics, such as cyclic voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy.
- Define specifications for fuel cell materials.
- Recommend or implement changes to fuel cell system designs.
- Validate design of fuel cells, fuel cell components, or fuel cell systems.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where fuel cell engineers work
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 20% |
|---|---|
| Machinery manufacturing | 14% |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 10% |
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 6% |
| Scientific research and development services | 6% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Speaking3.8/5
- Science3.8/5
- Active Listening3.6/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
- Monitoring3.6/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Systems Analysis3.6/5
- Systems Evaluation3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Instructing3.0/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Industrial control software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Fuel Cell Engineer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.5
Investigativeprimary5.4
Artistic1.8
Social1.4
Enterprising2.5
Conventionalprimary4.1
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Fuel Cell Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Fuel Cell Engineers make?
Fuel Cell Engineers earn a median of $104,110 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 104% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $50.05/hr. The middle half earn between $84,130 and $132,590. The top 10% earn $164,340 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Fuel Cell Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Fuel Cell Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.1% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Fuel Cell Engineer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 9.1% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 18,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Fuel Cell Engineer do?
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines. A core O*NET task: plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Fuel Cell Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Fuel Cell Engineers are New Mexico ($157,710), District of Columbia ($133,300), California ($130,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Fuel Cell Engineer?
O*NET scores Fuel Cell Engineers highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.