Also called: Failure Analysis Engineer, Accident Reconstruction Engineer
Investigates why bridges collapse, buildings burn, or products fail, often for lawsuits.
Forensic engineers examine wreckage of a collapsed balcony, a car crash, or an exploded battery, run tests and simulations, and explain their findings to juries. Insurance companies and law firms hire them.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 8 years after high school. Bachelor's in engineering plus PE license and years of experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science.
Growing about average. Approximate.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI speeds simulations and document review; examining wreckage and testifying as a licensed engineer stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Chemistry, Drafting / CAD.
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.