Also called: Robotic Inspection Technician, Crawler Robot Field Operator
Drives magnetic robots up the walls of power-plant boilers, tanks and pipes, scanning the steel for thin spots.
You set a magnetic crawler on the side of a 100-foot boiler wall and steer it upward with a laptop and joystick. Ultrasound sensors on its wheels measure the steel thickness thousands of times a minute. When the robot gets stuck on a weld, you figure out how to free it.
Lots of travel with per diem.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.5 years after high school. High school or associate degree; employers train you in robots and inspection basics.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 2-year college, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Robotics Technology, Mechatronics, Nondestructive Testing Technology.
Growing much faster than average. Robots replace scaffolding and rope access for many inspections.
Medium risk for 10 years. Crawlers drive more on their own each year; setting up, troubleshooting and judging data on site stays human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at industrial inspection companies or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Robotics or engineering class, Physics, Computer class, Shop 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.