Also called: Hull Structures Engineer
Makes sure a ship's steel or aluminum structure is strong enough to survive storms and decades at sea.
These engineers size the steel plates and frames, run finite-element models, and check cracked structures on older ships to plan repairs.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in naval architecture, civil, or mechanical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Naval Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Finite-element tools automate more checks; engineers stay legally responsible for structures surviving storms.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, CAD class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2121.
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