Also called: Nanofabrication Engineer
Makes quantum chips in a cleanroom, layer by microscopic layer.
Dressed head to toe in a 'bunny suit,' you deposit thin metal films, pattern them with electron beams, and etch features thousands of times smaller than a hair. Then you inspect them under electron microscopes and track which recipe made the best qubits.
Quantum jobs are new and not tracked separately by BLS; figures are estimates from industry salary surveys and related occupations.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in physics, materials science, or electrical engineering with cleanroom experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering.
Growing much faster than average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI tracks which recipes work best; cleanroom fabrication and inspection stay hands-on.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2199.
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.