Also called: Seismic Engineer, Structural Seismic Specialist
Designs and retrofits buildings and bridges so they survive major earthquakes.
You run a computer model that shakes an old hospital with a recording of a real earthquake and see which walls would crack. Then you design steel braces and base isolators, giant rubber bearings that let the whole building slide gently while the ground shakes.
Highest demand in California, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's in structural or earthquake engineering is standard; PE/SE license.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Civil Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Tracks civil engineers.
Low risk for 10 years. AI improves ground-motion models and damage scans; designing retrofits and judging real building safety stay human and licensed.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Earth science, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2051.
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.