Also called: Acoustician, Acoustics Research Scientist
Studies how sound and vibration travel through air, water, solids, and the human body.
You might design an experiment in an anechoic chamber, a room so quiet you can hear your own heartbeat, or model how sound bounces through a cathedral. Acoustical physicists work at universities, Navy labs, and companies making everything from cars to earbuds.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. PhD or master's in acoustics, physics, or mechanical engineering; Penn State has one of the few US acoustics graduate programs.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Physics, Acoustics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering.
Growing about average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI speeds sound modeling and data analysis; experiments in anechoic chambers and Navy research stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, Music.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2012.
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.