Also called: Inertial Confinement Fusion Scientist
Uses the world's most powerful lasers to crush tiny fuel pellets and spark fusion.
You design a shot where 192 laser beams hit a target smaller than a peppercorn for billionths of a second, and study the data to squeeze more energy out. This is how scientists first achieved fusion ignition in 2022.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. A bachelor's in physics, then a PhD in plasma or laser physics; many work at national labs, which often require a security clearance.
Ways in: Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Physics, Optical Engineering.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Fusion isn't tracked by BLS; private fusion companies have raised billions and are hiring fast, but commercial power is still years away.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI already helps design fusion targets and analyze shots; experiment planning and interpretation stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2012.
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