Also called: Assistive Technology Engineer, Adaptive Equipment Engineer
Designs wheelchairs, communication devices and custom tools that help people with disabilities live independently.
You meet a teenager with cerebral palsy who wants to play video games. You test different joysticks and switches, then 3D print a custom controller that fits the way she moves.
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 biomedical or mechanical engineering; RESNA ATP certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI adds smarter controls to wheelchairs and speech devices; fitting tools to each person's body and needs stays human.
Classes: Biology, Physics, CAD or engineering CTE, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2031.
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.