Also called: Landing Gear Design Engineer
Designs the wheels, struts and brakes that let a 400-ton plane land safely thousands of times.
You design a shock absorber that softens a hard landing, then watch a "drop test" where a real gear is slammed onto a platform from several feet up. You also work with brake and tire suppliers to keep the whole system light and tough.
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.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with design and fatigue checks; drop tests and certifying real gear stay hands-on.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Shop class, CAD class.
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.