Also called: Car Designer, Exterior Designer, Interior Designer (Auto)
Sketches and shapes the look of new cars, inside and out.
You start with pencil and digital sketches of a new SUV, then work with 3D software and VR to refine every curve. Your design competes with others in your studio, and the winner gets built.
Estimated; few jobs, very competitive.
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 transportation design (ArtCenter, CCS Detroit) or industrial design; a strong portfolio is everything.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Transportation Design, Industrial Design.
Growing slowly. Small, competitive field.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI image tools now generate many concept sketches; fewer junior designers, with taste and 3D refinement kept human.
Classes: Art or drawing, Physics, 3D design or CAD.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1021.
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.