Also called: Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Designer, RFIC Designer
Designs the analog circuits inside computer chips that handle real-world signals like sound, radio and power.
You stare at a schematic of a few hundred transistors that will convert a microphone's signal into numbers. You run simulations to check it works when the chip is freezing or scorching hot, then spend an afternoon with the layout engineer squeezing it into a space smaller than a grain of sand.
Big chip companies often add stock that pushes total pay much higher.
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; most analog designers have a master's or PhD.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years). Tracks electronics engineers; chip-building incentives are boosting demand.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI tools now help size transistors and explore layouts, but analog design is still part art; silicon debug and design judgment stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, Electronics class, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2072.
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.