Also called: Recovery Vessel Deckhand, Drone Ship Technician
Works on the ships that catch rocket boosters and fairings at sea and bring them back to port.
You sail out days before launch, secure a freshly landed 15-story booster on a floating platform, and help tow fairings out of the waves.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma plus Merchant Mariner Credential and safety training.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Maritime Technology.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Autonomous droneships already land boosters; crews still secure, repair and bring them back to port.
Classes: Physical education, Shop class, Earth science, Welding CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-5011.
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.