Maps the bottom of oceans, rivers, and harbors with sonar.
You spend two weeks on a survey ship running multibeam sonar across a harbor, spotting a shipwreck on the screen and updating the nautical charts that keep ships off the rocks.
Offshore rotations pay extra.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Geomatics, ocean engineering, or marine science degree; IHO/ACSM certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Geomatics, Ocean Engineering, Marine Science.
Growing faster than average. Ports, offshore wind, and charting keep demand up.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Autonomous survey boats and AI sonar processing are growing; planning surveys and working aboard vessels stay human.
Classes: Physics, Earth science, Precalculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-1022.
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.