Also called: Photovoltaic Scientist, PV Materials Scientist
Invents better solar cells, such as perovskites and tandem cells, that turn more sunlight into electricity.
You grow thin films of a new material in a glovebox, build a tiny test cell, and shine a fake sun on it to measure efficiency. Beating a world record by half a percent is a big deal.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in physics, materials science, or chemistry.
Ways in: Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Uses BLS physicists/materials scientists as a proxy.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI speeds materials discovery and data analysis, raising the bar for juniors; lab experiments and new ideas stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2012.
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.