Also called: Vehicle Security Engineer, Car Hacker (Product Security)
Hacks cars on purpose to find weak spots in their computers, radios and apps before criminals can steal them or control them remotely.
You plug into a new SUV's diagnostic port and try sending fake messages to the brakes and door locks. Next you test whether the key fob's signal can be copied from 30 feet away. You write up what you found so engineers can fix it before the car ships, as global regulations now require.
Estimated from carmaker and supplier security postings.
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 engineering, cybersecurity or electrical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science.
Growing much faster than average. Global rules (UN R155) require car cybersecurity, and connected EVs need more of it.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI fuzzing tools find bugs faster, but hands-on hacking of real vehicles and their hardware stays human.
Classes: Computer science, Auto shop CTE, Electronics, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1212.
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.