Also called: Near-Earth Object Scientist, Asteroid Impact Analyst
Finds dangerous asteroids and plans how to deflect them before they hit Earth, like NASA's DART mission did.
You calculate the orbit of a newly discovered asteroid, estimate its chance of hitting Earth decades from now, and help run tabletop exercises where officials practice responding to an impact threat.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in astronomy, planetary science, or aerospace engineering.
Ways in: Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Astronomy, Planetary Science, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing about average. Small NASA-funded field.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI finds asteroids in survey data automatically; deflection science and mission planning stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, Astronomy.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2011.
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.