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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Design Engineer

A Design Engineer calculates, designs, tests or maintains technical systems and is accountable for safety, reliability and compliance. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

33%2026
36%2028
40%2030
46%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
gathering technical requirements51%
calculation and modelling46%
developing diagrams or drawings42%
selecting materials and components37%
checking standards and safety31%
testing a prototype or system21%
failure analysis10%
maintaining technical documentation3%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1gathering technical requirementsAI 51% · human 65%
  2. 2calculation and modellingAI 46% · human 71%
  3. 3developing diagrams or drawingsAI 42% · human 78%
  4. 4selecting materials and componentsAI 37% · human 67%
  5. 5checking standards and safetyAI 31% · human 70%
  6. 6testing a prototype or systemAI 21% · human 78%
  7. 7failure analysisAI 10% · human 90%
  8. 8maintaining technical documentationAI 3% · human 78%

Why technology can change this work

  • digital tools reduce preparation and control time
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • key information often emerges only through direct work

What protects the occupation

  • system-safety accountability
  • work with physical constraints
  • testing under real conditions

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$9 650per month
2035$13 950scenario estimate
2026: $9 65020262027: $10 05020272028: $10 45020282029: $10 90020292030: $11 35020302031: $11 85020312032: $12 35020322033: $12 85020332034: $13 40020342035: $13 9502035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Digital Twin Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

Industrial Automation Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk21%
DemandMediumDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Robot Fleet Manager

Emerging role
New role risk12%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Generative Design Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk16%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit83%

AI Security Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit50%

Energy Storage Optimizer

Emerging role
New role risk12%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit62%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Skills you already have

  • engineering calculations
  • reading and producing drawings
  • materials knowledge
  • safety standards
  • testing
  • failure analysis

Skills to build

  • digital twins
  • generative engineering
  • model-based development
  • predictive diagnostics
  • equipment cybersecurity
  • AI-calculation validation
CurrentDesign Engineer · 33%
→
Keepengineering calculations · reading and producing drawings · materials knowledge
→
Adddigital twins · generative engineering · model-based development

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.