Climbs, rappels, and rides snooper trucks to check bridges for cracks and rust.
You hang from a bucket truck under a highway bridge tapping concrete with a hammer to find hollow spots, photograph rusted bearings, and rate the bridge's condition.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Civil engineering tech degree or engineering degree; FHWA bridge inspection training.
Ways in: 2-year college, 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Civil Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering.
Growing about average. Federal law requires regular inspection of every bridge.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones and AI image analysis spot cracks faster; hands-on testing, climbing and rating bridge safety stay human.
Classes: Physics, Geometry, Drafting CTE class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-4011.
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.