EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 6 | Page 48

E XC L U S IVE F EAT U RE
Fun Facts and Tips
Why Consider a Career in
3D Printing?
If you love creating scale models and
real objects from a machine, 3D printing
sounds like a career that you would enjoy.
Notable fields in this career include:

• Animation and Design
A career in animation and design uses the same
tools and techniques as in 3D printing. What 3D
printing aspires to do is to be able to use software
and models to create something out of nothing.
When you have a degree in 3D animation or
design, you will already have the necessary tools to
understand how 3D printing and modelling works
in a variety of applications, from manufacturing
toys to creating a scale model of a house.

• Biomedical Technology
Your expertise in 3D printing can even be applied
in the medical line – prosthetics from 3D printers,
anyone? You can even experiment with organ
generation. Biomedical 3D printing has the potential
to create practical and life-saving models. Some
of the most amazing applications for 3D printing
have actually been in the biomedical sector. With
a career in biomedical technology, you could play
an instrumental rolein the next great medical find,
thanks to the help of sophisticated 3D printers.

• Engineering
With 3D printing comes the need for engineers
who can design and operate the devices – whether
mechanical, software or industrial – and use 3D
printers to model and draft various components
for manufacturing. A degree in engineering is an
ideal way to get yourself involved in3D printing,
particularly if there’s an emphasis on 3D printing
and modelling in your curriculum.

• Worldwide shipment of
3D printers is expected to
reach about 200,000 in
the year 2015.
• The 3D printing market
is expected to grow at
23 per cent annually
through 2020, reaching
USD8.4 billion.
• The medical equipment
industry is one of the
largest markets to have
embraced 3D printing.
Want a nose? Print it out!
• Biomedics specialists
in Belgium recently
implanted a 3D-printed
titanium jawbone into an
83-year-old woman.
• Do you know that 3D
printers can be used in
conjunction with CAT
scans to print out clones
of a tumour before
an operation, so that
surgeons are conversant
with what exactly they will
be tackling?
• The photonic professional
GT 3D printer can create
objects with widths as thin
as human hair.
• The James Bond movie,
Skyfall, used 3D print
technology to produce
models of 007’s famed
Aston Martin DB5 luxury
grand tourer.
• NASA had 3D-printed
pizza made to feed
astronauts in outer space.
The world of 3D printing
is limitless, given the sheer
number of items that you
could create for various
industries. As such, there is
great potential and demand
in this field.

Salary Scale
Gartner forecasts 2.3 million shipments of 3D printers worldwide by the year 2018.
The fast growth and evolution in this industry and the rising popularity of and demand
in custom 3D-printed merchandise has fuelled the demand for this type of technical
knowledge. The average salary for 3D printer personnel, USD82,000 as of 9 March 2015,
reflects this.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, an average salary of about US$68,645 per year
is made by experts in this field, although this depends on various factors. Well-established
freelancers in this field can earn more than their salaried counterparts, while starters may
charge a nominal fee while they get accustomed to and gain experience in this field, but
this is only temporary as salary increases with experience.
Reference: http://www.indeed.com/salary/3d-Printing-Solutions.html
46

easyuni Guide 2015

Issue 6