Also called: Design Technologist, Parametric Designer
Writes code and algorithms that design complex building shapes and automate design work.
You write a script that generates 500 versions of a stadium roof and tests each for sunlight and steel weight. Then you help designers pick the winner and turn it into buildable panels.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 8 years after high school. Architecture or engineering degree plus coding skills (Python, Grasshopper, Dynamo); many hold a master's.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Self-taught. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Architecture, Computer Science, Architectural Engineering.
Growing much faster than average. Small but growing specialty at big design firms.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI writes much of the script code and design options; framing problems and judging results for real buildings stays human.
Classes: AP Computer Science, AP Calculus, Studio art.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-1011.
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.