Also called: Carbon Fiber Engineer, Composite Materials Engineer
Designs parts made from layered materials like carbon fiber and fiberglass for race cars, bikes, wind blades and planes.
You plan how 40 layers of carbon fiber should be stacked and angled to make a race car wing strong but light. You watch technicians lay it up, bake it in an autoclave, and then test it until it breaks.
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 materials, mechanical or aerospace engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI speeds ply design and simulation; laying up, curing and testing real carbon-fiber parts stays hands-on.
Classes: Physics, Chemistry, Shop class, CAD class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2131.
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.