Leads crews digging subway, water, and highway tunnels deep underground.
You ride a cage 150 feet down a shaft to check the tunnel boring machine's progress, review ground sensors for settlement, and plan tomorrow's segment deliveries. Everything happens around the clock.
Underground work pays a premium.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 15 years after high school. Many rise from tunnel crews over 15+ years; some are engineers.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Mining Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Subway, water, and sewer tunnel projects are growing.
Low risk for 10 years. Tunnel machines grow more automated, but leading crews underground and handling ground surprises stays human.
Classes: Construction CTE, Earth science, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-1011.
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.