Right, but this is about civil engineering. I suppose that field also had tinkerers at some point, but today we expect civil engineers to have a diploma and license. Maybe software engineering will go that way too in the future, after the Internet of Unsecured Things finally implodes.
I know of a civil engineer PE who is an expert in code interpretations of the ASME (not ASCE) boilers and pressure vessels (BPVC) codes. He acts as an expert witness and also makes interpretations for clients who are unsure about the code's meaning. He makes millions because the correct design and use of such items affect lives and property at immense scales.
Safety regulations are written in blood that is too easily washed-off.
There is always a space for tinkering. I took apart clocks and small appliances when I was 5. Eventually, my dad had me rebuilding carburetors using the kits because I wasn't strong enough to rebuild alternators yet.
Last month, I made Alexa-enabled "tea candle" lanterns by gutting WiFi bedside lights and using privacy paint on said lanterns. As diffusers, I reshaped the diffusers from the original lights. Where the circuit boards appear, I painted the back walls and PCBs matte black to hide them when the lights are on. I dremeled slots in the lantern bases for USB power.
What appears to be happening is the over-regulation of title combinations to collect more money by "solving" a professionalization problem that didn't need solving.