Also called: Ice Protection Systems Engineer
Keeps ice from building up on wings and engines, one of aviation's sneakiest dangers.
You design heated wing edges and test them in an icing wind tunnel that sprays supercooled water, then chase real icing clouds in a test airplane. Test seasons mean flying through winter storms on purpose.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Aerospace engineers overall; a tiny specialty.
Low risk for 10 years. AI improves ice prediction; icing tunnel tests and flight tests in bad weather stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, Chemistry, Earth science, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.