Also called: NICET Fire Protection Designer, Sprinkler Layout Technician
Lays out sprinkler pipes and heads in buildings and calculates the water pressure they need.
You open a 3D model of a new apartment building and place hundreds of sprinkler heads so every room is covered. Software checks your water math, and you fix the spots where pipes would hit ducts.
Senior NICET Level IV designers can earn six figures.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High school or associate plus NICET fire sprinkler certification earned on the job.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, 2-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Fire Protection Technology.
Growing about average.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. CAD and AI tools now auto-layout sprinklers and run hydraulic calcs, so fewer designers; tricky buildings still need people.
Classes: Drafting or CAD, Algebra II, Physics, Construction CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3019.
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.