Also called: Contamination Control Engineer
Makes sure we don't contaminate other worlds with Earth germs, or bring dangerous alien material back.
You swab spacecraft surfaces in a cleanroom, count the bacterial spores that survive, and approve sterilization procedures. You also help plan how Mars samples will be quarantined when they come home.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in microbiology or engineering; many have a master's or PhD.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Microbiology, Aerospace Engineering, Environmental Engineering.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps track contamination data; lab checks and rule-making for Mars sample return stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Government or civics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2081.
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.