Nanosystems Engineers

Design, develop, or supervise the production of materials, devices, or systems of unique molecular or macromolecular composition, applying principles of nanoscale physics and electrical, chemical, or biological engineering.

What They Do

Nanosystems engineers work at the cutting edge of technology, manipulating matter at the molecular and atomic level to create revolutionary materials and devices. They spend their days designing microscopic systems that can be billions of times smaller than everyday objects, using specialized computer software to model how atoms and molecules will behave when arranged in specific patterns. In laboratory and research settings, they develop nanoscale sensors, drug delivery systems, ultra-strong materials, and advanced electronics that push the boundaries of what's possible. They collaborate closely with physicists, chemists, and other engineers to solve complex problems, running experiments, analyzing data, and refining their designs through multiple iterations.

Programs That Prepare You

College programs linked to this occupation, ranked by graduate earnings

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)University of California-Berkeley, CA
$197,300
Engineering-Related Fields(doctoral)George Washington University, DC
$162,693
Engineering(masters)Northwestern University, IL
$162,147
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)Carnegie Mellon University, PA
$160,336
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)Stanford University, CA
$159,472
Systems Engineering(masters)Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
$151,271
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
$149,936
Engineering-Related Fields(masters)Northwestern University, IL
$144,879
Engineering(masters)University of California-San Diego, CA
$142,225
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(bachelors)Carnegie Mellon University, PA
$139,337
Chemical Engineering(doctoral)Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
$138,391
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(bachelors)University of California-Berkeley, CA
$137,295
Engineering(masters)University of California-Los Angeles, CA
$135,373
Systems Engineering(masters)Johns Hopkins University, MD
$135,107
Engineering-Related Fields(masters)Stanford University, CA
$133,371
Engineering-Related Fields(masters)Wayne State University, MI
$128,271
Engineering-Related Fields(masters)Washington State University, WA
$127,541
Engineering-Related Fields(masters)George Washington University, DC
$127,408
Systems Engineering(masters)Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA
$127,141
Systems Engineering(masters)Boston University, MA
$127,141
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)University of Southern California, CA
$126,936
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)Johns Hopkins University, MD
$126,664
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA
$125,917
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)Columbia University in the City of New York, NY
$124,969
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering(masters)University of Washington-Bothell Campus, WA
$124,667

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