Also called: Tokamak Control Engineer, Plasma Control Systems Engineer
Writes the real-time software and magnet controls that hold a plasma hotter than the sun in place inside a fusion machine.
Before today's experiment, you load new control code that adjusts magnetic coils thousands of times a second. When the plasma starts drifting toward the wall, your system nudges it back. After each shot you study the data with physicists and tune the controller for the next run.
Estimated from national lab and fusion startup postings.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. PhD in electrical engineering, physics or control systems is common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Physics, Control Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Private fusion companies are hiring as they build new machines.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI controllers are being tested on fusion machines, but experts still design, verify and trust them.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2071.
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.