Also called: Inference Optimization Engineer, Model Serving Engineer, LLM Inference Engineer
Makes trained AI models answer fast and cheaply for millions of users by tuning how they run on chips and servers.
You profile why a chatbot's replies slow down at peak hours, then test a trick that stores the model's numbers in 8 bits instead of 16. You measure speed and answer quality before and after, then roll the change out to a few servers.
Estimate; BLS software developers earn $135,980 median (May 2025), and AI companies pay more, often in stock.
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 computer science or computer engineering; systems and GPU programming skills matter most.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering.
Growing much faster than average (about 10% over 10 years). BLS projects +10% for software developers, 2025-35; inference work grows as AI use spreads.
Medium risk for 10 years. Compilers and AI tools automate more tuning; understanding chips, memory and tradeoffs stays human.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus, AP Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1252.
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.