Also called: CMT Technician, Soils and Concrete Tech
Tests concrete, soil and asphalt on job sites and in labs to make sure they're strong enough.
You pull a sample from a concrete truck, measure how it slumps, and pour test cylinders. A month later you crush those cylinders in a giant press to prove the concrete hit its strength target.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. High school plus ACI and NICET certifications; on-the-job training.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Civil Engineering Technology.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Automated lab testing and sensors cut some lab work; sampling concrete and soil on busy jobsites stays hands-on.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to construction testing labs; they pay for the ACI field testing course First: ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade I (1–2 day course and exam)
Classes: Chemistry, Algebra, Construction CTE, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3022.
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.