Also called: Theatrical Automation Engineer, Flying Effects Engineer
Designs the motor systems that fly performers, move scenery and spin stages in concerts and Broadway shows.
For a stadium concert tour you design a winch system that lifts the singer 60 feet above the crowd. You calculate loads, program the moves and test it with a sandbag dummy before a real person goes up.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in mechanical or electrical engineering, or theater technology plus experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Theater Technology.
Growing about average. Small, competitive niche; not tracked separately by BLS.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps program cues; designing safe motion systems and running them during live shows stay human.
Classes: Physics, Theater tech crew, Electronics CTE, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2199.
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.