Also called: Control Room Operator (Accelerator)
Runs a particle accelerator from a control room around the clock.
On a night shift at a national lab, you watch dozens of screens showing the beam, fix trips when a magnet hiccups, and coordinate with experimenters waiting for their beam time.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in physics or engineering; trained on the job.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Physics, Engineering.
Growing about average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI may automate more beam tuning and fault recovery; operators still run shifts and coordinate experimenters.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Computer Science, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4099.
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.