Experimental Skills for Non-PhD Roles in the Quantum Industry

Abstract

As the quantum information science and engineering (QISE) workforce grows, there is an anticipated need for professionals with bachelor's and master's degrees who can fill a wide range of roles in the quantum industry. This report identifies the experimental skills needed for individuals with bachelor's or master's degrees to succeed in quantum industry roles. Through semi-structured interviews with quantum industry employers, we gathered data on 22 distinct positions spanning hardware, software, and business functions. While employers describe varying expectations of quantum expertise, the unifying requirement across these roles is proficiency in experimental skills, which fall into four key categories: instrumentation, computation and data analysis, experimental and project design, as well as communication and collaboration. Positions open to bachelor's and master's graduates use all four skill areas, but the balance of experimental skill set needed differs. Bachelor's roles lean toward instrumentation, computation and data analysis, as well as experimental and project design skills. Individuals in these roles build, operate, and troubleshoot hardware, and they gather and interpret data to design and carry out experiments. Master's roles stand out with the communication and collaboration skills needed on top of the other three skill categories. Individuals in these roles oversee experiments, coordinate teams, and align efforts with company and client needs. By articulating experimental skills needed for bachelor's and master's roles in the quantum industry, this report provides actionable insights for educators developing QISE courses and programs.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Distribution of interviewed companies by type and size. We did 37 interviews with professionals at 22 distinct companies. We had a few interviewees from the same company and most companies self-reported participation in more than one type of activity. We adopted definitions consistent with prior literature fox2020preparingel2025industry for company types. Company size corresponds to the range of employees working in quantum-related technologies in these companies. Note: Figure 1 in the first version of this preprint included only a subset of the distribution of companies analyzed in this report. The figure has been updated to show the distribution type and size of all 37 interviews.
• Figure 2: Distribution of experimental skills for each position grouped by dominant experimental skills category. The individual positions serving as starting and endpoint points for each category are: Chief Operating Officer $\rightarrow$ laser & optics engineer emphasize instrumentation skills. Algorithm developer 2 $\rightarrow$ software developer 1 emphasize computation and data analysis skills. Construction specialist $\rightarrow$ quantum R&D engineer emphasize experimental and project design skills. Product manager $\rightarrow$ quantum business development specialist emphasize communication and collaboration skills.