Also called: Qubit Engineer, Quantum Device Engineer
Builds and improves the qubits, the fragile building blocks of quantum computers.
You test a new superconducting qubit chip inside a refrigerator colder than outer space, measuring how long it can hold quantum information before noise ruins it. Then you redesign the chip and send it back to the fab. Companies like IBM, Google, and many startups are racing on this.
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.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. Usually a PhD in physics or electrical engineering; some roles take a master's.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Physics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics.
Growing much faster than average. Fast-growing but volatile field funded by tech giants, startups, and government.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps chip simulation, but testing and redesigning fragile qubits is hands-on frontier work with strong demand.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus BC, Electronics CTE.
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.