Also called: Radar Cross Section (RCS) Engineer, Low Observables Engineer
Shapes and coats aircraft, ships and missiles so they look tiny to enemy radar, then measures how well it worked.
You run a computer model showing how radar waves bounce off a new drone's tail. Then you go to a giant indoor test range lined with foam spikes, mount a model on a pole, and measure its radar "size" from every angle. A seam that sticks up 1 millimeter can ruin the result.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in electrical engineering or physics; many have a master's or PhD in electromagnetics. Security clearance required.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing faster than average. New stealth aircraft, drones and ships.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI speeds up electromagnetic simulation and shape design; secret testing and engineering judgment stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Computer programming, Electronics class.
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.