Also called: Military simulation developer, Mission software engineer, Defense AI engineer
Writes software for weapons, satellites, flight simulators, and AI systems used by the military.
Defense software engineers might code flight-control software, build realistic training simulators, or train AI models to spot objects in drone video. New defense-tech startups like Anduril and Palantir have made this a hot field.
BLS software developers, May 2024; startup equity can add more.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in computer science or engineering; clearance often required.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics.
Growing much faster than average (about 15% over 10 years). BLS projects ~15% growth for software developers, 2024-34.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI coding assistants write much routine code, squeezing junior roles; clearances and system design stay human.
Classes: AP Computer Science, AP Calculus, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1252.
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