Also called: Mission Training Lead
Designs the nightmare scenarios used to train Mission Control and astronauts, then throws them at the team.
You plan a simulated launch where an engine fails at the worst moment, secretly trigger it during training, and watch how the team responds. Your job is to break things 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. Engineering degree plus years of flight control experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing about average. Small field not tracked separately by BLS; grows with mission count.
Low risk for 10 years. AI can generate scenarios, but designing training that tests real people under stress stays human.
Classes: AP Physics, Computer science, Psychology, Drama or theater.
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.