Nanotechnologists

Employers

Nanotechnologists are employed by local, state, and federal agencies that conduct research in nanotechnology and nanoengineering, including the following federal agencies:

• Agricultural Research Service
• Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and Transportation
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Food and Drug Administration
• NASA
• National Cancer Institute
• National Institutes of Health
• National Science Foundation

Additionally, nanotechnologists work in many industries, including:

• electronics/semiconductor
• automotives
• aerospace
• materials science (including packaging, textiles, and polymers)
• biotechnology
• sporting goods
• medicine and pharmaceuticals
• food science
• renewable energy (and energy capture and storage)
• cosmetics
• forensics
• defense
• retail and consumer goods
• telecommunications
• agriculture production/food processing
• environmental monitoring, control, and remediation

Finally, some nanotechnologists are employed as professors and researchers at colleges and universities; others work in the U.S. military.

Starting Out

Nanotechnologists often break into the field by working as laboratory assistants or interns during their college years. Others advance from the position of nanotechnician.

Popular job-search strategies include using the resources of your university’s career services office, attending career fairs, checking out job listings on employment Web sites, and networking in-person and on social networking sites such as LinkedIn. Additionally, visit https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology/research/nanotechnology_links.php for a list of nanotechnology companies and laboratories. Start researching these companies to learn about job openings and the industry as a whole.