Also called: Simulation Engineer
Builds live virtual copies of real factories, cities, or machines to test changes before making them.
You build a 3D simulation of a warehouse fed by real sensors so managers can see what happens if they add 20 robots, before buying any.
Estimate.
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 engineering or CS.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Growing in manufacturing and infrastructure.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI builds virtual models faster, but connecting them to real plants and cities stays engineering work.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Physics, Engineering design or CAD.
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.