Also called: Vehicle Engineer, Automotive Design Engineer
Designs and tests the parts and systems of cars, trucks and SUVs, from brakes to seats to suspensions.
You design a new brake caliper in CAD, run a simulation to check it won't crack, and send it to the prototype shop. A month later you're at a test track watching a car do 50 hard stops in a row while you read temperature data.
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 automotive engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Electrical Engineering.
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years). Tracks mechanical engineers (BLS 2024-34).
Medium risk for 10 years. AI generates CAD, runs virtual tests and writes reports, thinning junior design roles; physical testing and integration stay human.
Classes: Physics, AP Calculus, Auto shop, CAD class.
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.