Also called: Design Anthropologist, Cultural Insights Researcher
Studies people in their real lives, homes, and routines to discover hidden needs.
You spend a day in a family's kitchen watching how they actually cook dinner, filming and taking notes. Your discovery of how they store leftovers inspires a new container design.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's or PhD in anthropology or sociology common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Anthropology, Sociology, Design.
Growing about average. Small niche.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI can transcribe and tag field notes; spending days in people's homes noticing hidden needs stays human.
Classes: Sociology or anthropology elective, AP Psychology, Photography, English Language Arts.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-3091.
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.