Salary guide, May 2025
Validation Engineer pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250.
Also searched as: CQV Engineer, Validation Specialist, Validation Manager. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 |
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $103,740 | $81,810 to $129,150 | 3,360 | 0.51 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $100,670 | $78,520 to $123,830 | 2,090 | 0.61 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $104,920 | $85,800 to $127,450 | 2,040 | 0.61 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,030 | $83,240 to $130,220 | 1,710 | 0.98 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $105,640 | $93,020 to $132,830 | 10,680 | 1.12 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,760 | $82,260 to $126,580 | 12,750 | 1.2 |
Rank every metro for Validation Engineer
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$127,140
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$127,140
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$118,700
- Sawmills and Wood Preservation$108,250
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$108,170
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$108,110
- Tobacco Manufacturing$108,090
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$107,170
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$106,340
- Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing$106,170
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing$105,680
- Chemical Manufacturing$105,450
- Dairy Product Manufacturing$105,450
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing$105,380
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$105,370
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 248,860 | $82,290 | $101,160 | $126,660 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 55,900 | $85,080 | $102,390 | $127,250 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 41,320 | $86,770 | $105,370 | $133,290 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,010 | $81,650 | $99,070 | $121,540 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 25,680 | $98,350 | $107,170 | $131,930 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 23,290 | $93,530 | $105,450 | $130,730 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 22,640 | $77,900 | $93,170 | $104,250 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 20,060 | $88,940 | $108,110 | $140,790 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 18,550 | $82,840 | $101,920 | $128,760 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,200 | $81,880 | $98,830 | $120,590 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 17,250 | $79,550 | $96,890 | $106,770 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 16,880 | $91,760 | $104,840 | $130,890 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 15,540 | $85,110 | $102,810 | $129,190 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 14,900 | $79,420 | $96,770 | $107,790 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 12,400 | $78,950 | $97,790 | $110,760 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 11,950 | $79,330 | $96,620 | $106,940 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 11,710 | $92,180 | $104,110 | $129,470 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 11,340 | $78,320 | $94,370 | $104,900 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,150 | $97,950 | $118,700 | $136,120 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 8,140 | $95,070 | $106,340 | $128,140 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 6,910 | $79,730 | $99,030 | $117,390 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 6,260 | $84,130 | $102,830 | $126,540 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 5,560 | $85,060 | $101,150 | $129,380 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 5,400 | $79,760 | $98,920 | $119,880 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 5,360 | $76,350 | $90,070 | $104,100 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,990 | $77,510 | $92,670 | $103,570 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 4,970 | $78,360 | $98,200 | $108,050 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 4,570 | $95,870 | $103,340 | $128,710 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,390 | $65,840 | $79,040 | $99,530 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3,310 | $65,800 | $78,990 | $99,530 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 3,220 | $79,890 | $97,680 | $124,910 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 3,140 | $77,720 | $90,920 | $105,490 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 3,070 | $76,660 | $89,610 | $102,790 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,010 | $77,480 | $93,810 | $106,220 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 2,950 | $79,660 | $98,320 | $116,500 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,940 | $82,140 | $98,870 | $119,810 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,940 | $82,140 | $98,870 | $119,810 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 2,440 | $78,970 | $96,820 | $106,910 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 2,430 | $81,020 | $98,130 | $116,950 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 2,340 | $93,660 | $108,170 | $133,940 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,170 | $64,520 | $99,540 | $137,030 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,100 | $78,710 | $96,750 | $110,110 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1,920 | $79,080 | $95,820 | $105,900 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,820 | $83,310 | $102,600 | $129,960 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 1,550 | $80,730 | $100,410 | $131,930 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,540 | $85,170 | $103,250 | $125,920 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,520 | $79,310 | $95,010 | $106,660 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,390 | $79,340 | $93,460 | $102,770 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,320 | $74,810 | $91,780 | $108,710 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,300 | $83,780 | $103,280 | $126,590 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,290 | $64,770 | $94,540 | $110,070 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,170 | $79,710 | $98,790 | $105,140 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 1,070 | $78,750 | $94,390 | $108,780 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,040 | $93,820 | $105,380 | $128,570 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 990 | $81,230 | $99,970 | $117,710 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 950 | $74,450 | $91,110 | $103,750 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 930 | $94,260 | $104,530 | $127,430 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 930 | $72,470 | $89,520 | $107,990 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 890 | $92,480 | $105,450 | $128,810 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 890 | $81,650 | $101,620 | $125,780 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 830 | $83,690 | $104,160 | $126,870 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 740 | $83,680 | $99,410 | $123,200 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 740 | $79,030 | $101,350 | $123,200 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 720 | $80,490 | $91,170 | $107,250 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 680 | $84,550 | $105,680 | $135,780 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 590 | $79,800 | $96,140 | $112,340 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 530 | $74,680 | $88,730 | $108,800 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 520 | $84,270 | $100,470 | $126,400 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 510 | $78,590 | $95,100 | $104,450 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 300 | $85,210 | $101,610 | $130,660 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 280 | $78,190 | $93,450 | $108,520 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 280 | $72,910 | $85,020 | $107,200 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 280 | $75,610 | $87,540 | $107,040 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 260 | $75,760 | $99,140 | $117,580 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 250 | $86,000 | $104,380 | $131,170 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 200 | $75,250 | $88,600 | $106,660 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 120 | $93,080 | $108,090 | $134,500 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 110 | $88,030 | $108,250 | $131,680 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 100 | $94,450 | $97,130 | $132,360 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 90 | $81,270 | $96,700 | $108,730 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 80 | $75,850 | $91,930 | $115,090 |
| 316900 | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 60 | $75,700 | $106,170 | $123,850 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 50 | $66,520 | $88,620 | $127,880 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 40 | $82,470 | $101,090 | $110,440 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | Not published by BLS | $48,570 | $59,630 | $84,280 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Validation Engineer, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $81,910 | $101,140 | $127,480 |
| May 2025 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about computer system validation and Part 11?
We confirm the candidate has validated systems that handle electronic records, including access controls, audit trails and electronic signatures. We ask how they scoped risk-based testing, handled vendor documentation and managed periodic review. A candidate who has dealt with an inspector's data integrity question stands out.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Validation Engineer?
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $74,370. 90% earned less than $159,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Validation Engineer at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The role of Validation Engineer falls under the Industrial Engineers occupation, 17-2112. The May 2025 data indicates a national median salary of $102,440, a shift of 1,300 from the May 2024 figure. The middleBandWidth stands at 45,650, defined by the p25 of $83,600 and the p75 of $129,250.
Because the BLS measures this broader occupation across all manufacturing sectors, it does not provide a specific entry for engineers focused on IQ/OQ/PQ or 21 CFR Part 11 compliance.
Industry-specific data for the Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing sector shows a median of $127,140, whereas the Chemical Manufacturing sector records a median of $118,700. These figures are national in scope and confirm that the validation function often commands distinct compensation relative to general industrial engineering. Pay components such as shift differentials or specialized validation consulting bonuses remain outside the scope of BLS reporting.
The highest employment metros for this occupation include Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, with a median of $104,110 and a medianChange of 3,170. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI reports a median of $104,730 with a medianChange of 2,290. The location quotient for Detroit is 3.87 and for Minneapolis is 3.04, reflecting significant industrial concentration in these areas. Manufacturing Headhunters observes that these metrics describe industrial engineer employment density rather than the specific market supply of validation professionals. Users should recognize that the mapping to the 17-2112 code includes numerous engineering functions that do not share the exact technical validation requirements.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How do industrial engineering wages differ by specific manufacturing industries?
Petroleum manufacturing reports a higher median of $127,140 compared to the national industrial engineering median of $102,440. This reflects industry-specific premiums that are not fully captured by the broad industrial engineering classification.
Why is the Detroit metro area noted for this occupation?
Detroit has a high location quotient of 3.87 for industrial engineers, indicating a high concentration of this professional class in the local workforce. This does not guarantee that every industrial engineer in Detroit works in a validation capacity.
Are validation-specific skills included in the OEWS salary data?
No, the OEWS data covers the general Industrial Engineers category. It does not isolate pay rates based on technical validation expertise like 21 CFR Part 11 or equipment qualification.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4