Also called: Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer, FEA Analyst, CAE Engineer
Uses computer simulations to predict how air, water, heat and stress move through a design before anything is built.
You load a 3D model of a car mirror into simulation software and set up millions of tiny cells for the air to flow through. The computer cluster crunches overnight. In the morning you color-map the results, find a whistling vortex, and suggest the designers round one edge by two millimeters.
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 mechanical or aerospace engineering; a master's in fluid mechanics or computational mechanics is common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics.
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years). Simulation-heavy roles are growing as companies cut physical prototypes.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI surrogate models now predict airflow in seconds instead of overnight runs, so fewer analysts are needed; setting up valid problems and judging results stays human.
Classes: AP Calculus, AP Physics C, Computer science, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2141.
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.