Also called: Small Arms Engineer
Designs rifles, pistols and their parts for militaries, police and sport shooters.
You model a new trigger part, print and machine prototypes, and test-fire thousands of rounds to check reliability. You also make sure new designs pass government and safety standards.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in mechanical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering.
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years). Mechanical engineers overall.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with CAD and simulation; prototyping, range testing and legal compliance stay human.
Classes: Physics, Shop or machining class, CAD class, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2141.
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