How to become a Nanotechnology Engineering Technologist or Technician

Official title: Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Also called: Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech), Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician), Nanofabrication Specialist, Process Engineering Technician (Process Engineering Tech), R and D Engineer (Research and Development Engineer), Research Lab Associate (Research Laboratory Associate), Research Scientist, Research Specialist, Research Technician (Research Tech), Scientific Research Associate

Implement production processes and operate commercial-scale production equipment to produce, test, or modify materials, devices, or systems of unique molecular or macromolecular composition. Operate advanced microscopy equipment to manipulate nanoscale objects. Work under the supervision of nanoengineering staff.

Main tasks

• Produce images or measurements, using tools or techniques such as atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, particle size analysis, or zeta potential analysis.
• Maintain accurate record or batch-record documentation of nanoproduction.
• Calibrate nanotechnology equipment, such as weighing, testing, or production equipment.
• Maintain work area according to cleanroom or other processing standards.
• Repair nanotechnology processing or testing equipment or submit work orders for equipment repair.
• Assist nanoscientists or engineers in processing or characterizing materials according to physical or chemical properties.
• Collaborate with scientists or engineers to design or conduct experiments for the development of nanotechnology materials, components, devices, or systems.
• Operate nanotechnology compounding, testing, processing, or production equipment in accordance with appropriate standard operating procedures, good manufacturing practices, hazardous material restrictions, or health and safety requirements.

How to become one

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation. Community colleges or technical institutes typically offer associate's degree programs, and vocational, technical schools offer certificate programs.

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Microelectronics Technician.
• Apprenticeship: Nanotechnology Engineering Technician.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians; Industrial Technology/Technician; Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $66,120 a year The middle half earn $55,760 to $80,280.
• About 76,700 people work in this job now, and about 79,000 are projected by 2035. (+3.1%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
• Robotics Technicians
• Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Nanotechnology Engineering Technologist or Technician?

Industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation. Community colleges or technical institutes typically offer associate's degree programs, and vocational, technical schools offer certificate programs.

How much does a Nanotechnology Engineering Technologist or Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $66,120 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $55,760 to $80,280.

Is a Nanotechnology Engineering Technologist or Technician a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 76,700 to about 79,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Nanotechnology Engineering Technologist or Technician?

Usually not. Only 23% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Associate's degree; Microelectronics Technician.

Will AI change the work of a Nanotechnology Engineering Technologist or Technician?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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.