Also called: Zooplankton Ecologist
Studies the tiny drifting organisms at the base of ocean and lake food webs.
Tows fine nets behind a boat, counts copepods and krill under the microscope, and links changes in plankton to whale and fish populations.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. PhD typical; master's for technician roles.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Biology, Oceanography.
Growing about average. Tracks BLS biological scientists.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Imaging instruments and AI now count plankton automatically; towing nets and linking plankton to food webs stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, Statistics, AP Environmental Science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1029.
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.