Also called: Test Driver, Proving Ground Driver
Drives prototype vehicles at proving grounds to test durability, handling and new features.
You drive a camouflaged prototype for hours over cobblestones, potholes and gravel at a secret test track, reporting every rattle and strange noise. Some days you do high-speed laps or practice emergency lane changes.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school plus a clean driving record and company driver training; advanced driving certifications help.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing about average.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Robot drivers and automated test tracks take over durability laps; drivers who judge feel and report issues remain fewer.
Age 21+. One way to start: Apply to proving grounds and test-driving contractors; they need a clean driving record
Classes: Driver's education, Auto shop, Physics, Health.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-3099.
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.