Also called: Powertrain Calibration Engineer, Engine Calibration Engineer
Fine-tunes the software settings that control how an engine or electric motor responds when you press the pedal.
You ride in a test truck with a laptop plugged into its computer, changing thousands of settings so it shifts gears smoothly while towing a trailer up a mountain. You also spend weeks in freezing Minnesota and baking Arizona making sure it works everywhere.
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 electrical 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 in 5 years, high in 10. AI auto-calibration tools tune engine and motor maps with far less human driving; final drive checks remain.
Classes: Computer science, Physics, Statistics, Auto shop.
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.