Also called: NOAA Fisheries Observer, At-Sea Observer
Rides along on commercial fishing boats for weeks, recording what's caught, including protected species like turtles and seabirds.
You live on a trawler in the Bering Sea for 30-90 days, collecting fish samples, measuring catch, and recording any marine mammals caught. It's tough, seasick, and adventurous, and a classic first job for marine biology grads.
Paid by sea day; food and lodging at sea included, so savings add up.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in a biological science plus a 3-week NOAA observer training course.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Biology, Fisheries Science, Biology.
Growing about average. Electronic monitoring cameras are replacing some observer roles.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Onboard cameras with AI species ID are replacing human observers on many boats; fewer sea-going observer jobs.
Classes: Biology, Statistics.
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.