Also called: NTSB Investigator, Air Safety Investigator
Figures out exactly why a plane crashed so it never happens again.
When a crash happens, you fly to the site within hours, document wreckage in the field, then spend months in labs and meetings analyzing recorders and parts until you find the cause.
Federal GS-13 to GS-15 scale.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Engineering or aviation degree plus pilot, mechanic, or engineering experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Aviation Safety, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing about average. Small federal workforce.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps read flight recorders and reconstruct crashes; field investigation and conclusions stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, Chemistry, English composition, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-6051.
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.