Also called: Space Debris Engineer
Tracks and models the millions of pieces of space junk circling Earth and figures out how to keep orbits usable.
You run models of how collisions create more debris, analyze a satellite breakup that just happened, and advise agencies on rules to keep orbit clean.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. Master's or PhD in aerospace engineering or physics.
Ways in: Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Astronomy.
Growing faster than average. Small, fast-growing field as low Earth orbit gets crowded; not tracked separately by BLS.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI tracks and models debris better; research and shaping global space rules stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2012.
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.