Fuel Cell Engineers
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
$104,110 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 69%
- 0%
- 31%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 4%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 26 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Conduct fuel cell testing projects, using fuel cell test stations, analytical instruments, or electrochemical diagnostics, such as cyclic voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Simulate or model fuel cell, motor, or other system information, using simulation software programs.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 2%Half by Jul 2028 | |
| Characterize component or fuel cell performances by generating operating maps, defining operating conditions, identifying design refinements, or executing durability assessments.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Jun 2028 | |
| Fabricate prototypes of fuel cell components, assemblies, stacks, or systems.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 2.5 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Plan or implement fuel cell cost reduction or product improvement projects in collaboration with other engineers, suppliers, support personnel, or customers.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Validate design of fuel cells, fuel cell components, or fuel cell systems.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Manage fuel cell battery hybrid system architecture, including sizing of components, such as fuel cells, energy storage units, or electric drives.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 2.5 work weeks | 0%Half by Jan 2029 | |
| Design or implement fuel cell testing or development programs.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Develop fuel cell materials or fuel cell test equipment.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work weeks1.7 work days to 1.5 work months | Stays with people | |
| Design fuel cell systems, subsystems, stacks, assemblies, or components, such as electric traction motors or power electronics.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work weeks1.7 work days to 1.2 work months | 0%Half by Aug 2029 | |
| Develop or evaluate systems or methods of hydrogen storage for fuel cell applications.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work weeks2.1 work days to 1.2 work months | 0%Half by Jun 2029 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.