Also called: Smallsat Engineer
Builds tiny satellites, some the size of a shoebox, often on fast timelines at startups or universities.
You might solder a radio board in the morning and write flight software in the afternoon. Small teams mean you touch every part of the satellite, and it could launch within a year.
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 engineering; many got started building CubeSats in college clubs.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Part of BLS aerospace engineers category.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps with design and code; building, testing and launching small satellites stays hands-on.
Classes: Physics, Electronics class, Computer science, 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.