Also called: AI&T Engineer, Test Engineer
Plans and runs the shake, bake, and vacuum tests a spacecraft must survive before launch.
You write the step-by-step procedure, then stand in the cleanroom in a full bunny suit while technicians bolt the spacecraft onto a shaker table that simulates a rocket launch. If a sensor reads strangely, you decide whether to stop.
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.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Part of BLS aerospace engineers category.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps plan and analyze tests; running shake, bake and vacuum tests on real spacecraft stays hands-on.
Classes: Physics, Electronics CTE, Statistics, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2011.
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