Also called: Prototype Builder, Vehicle Development Technician
Builds the first hand-made test versions of new cars, trucks and EVs before they ever go into mass production.
In a secret garage, you assemble a car that won't be public for two years, fitting parts that sometimes don't quite match the drawings. You note every problem for the engineers, add test sensors, and sometimes drive it onto the test track.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Automotive technology degree or certificate plus experience.
Ways in: 2-year college, Trade school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Automotive Technology (2-year), Motorsports Technology.
Growing about average.
Low risk for 10 years. Each prototype is a one-off hand build; AI cannot assemble, troubleshoot and modify new vehicle designs.
Classes: Auto shop CTE, Physics, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-3023.
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.