Also called: Whale Researcher
Studies whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees—their behavior, health, and survival.
Spends the morning on a small boat photographing whale tails to identify individuals, then flies a drone overhead to measure how fat they are.
Estimate; very competitive field.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's or PhD in marine biology.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Biology, Zoology.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Estimate.
Low risk for 10 years. AI matches whale tails from photos automatically; boat and drone fieldwork in a tiny, competitive field stays human.
Classes: AP Biology, Statistics, Photography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1023.
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.