Also called: Direct Air Capture Operator, Carbon Capture Technician
Operates new facilities that pull CO2 out of the air or smokestacks and lock it underground.
At a direct air capture plant in Texas or Louisiana, you monitor giant fans and chemical filters from a control room, do maintenance rounds, and track how many tons were captured. It's one of the newest industrial jobs in America.
Estimate based on chemical plant operators.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate degree in process technology or similar industrial experience.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Process Technology (2-year), Chemical Engineering Technology.
Growing much faster than average. A brand-new industry with few plants so far; growth depends on policy and funding.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Plant controls are highly automated; operators still run, inspect and fix new equipment in a growing field.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Algebra II.
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.