Also called: Wargaming analyst, Simulation analyst
Designs board-game-like or computer simulations that let military leaders test strategies before real conflicts.
Wargame designers research scenarios, build maps and rules, run multi-day games with generals and admirals playing opposing teams, and write up lessons learned. Jobs exist at the Naval War College, think tanks, and contractors. Some designers also make commercial strategy games.
Estimate; varies by employer.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in history, policy, or operations research; game design experience helps.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Self-taught. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: History, Political Science, Game Design, Operations Research.
Growing faster than average. Interest in wargaming has grown sharply at the Pentagon.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI generates scenarios and runs simulations; designing games that teach real lessons stays human.
Classes: World history, AP Statistics, Computer science.
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.