Also called: USCG AST, Rescue Swimmer
Coast Guard rescue swimmer who drops from helicopters into dangerous seas to save people.
ASTs train in freezing pools and pounding surf, practice hoists, and maintain survival equipment. During hurricanes they may rescue dozens of people in a day. Afterward, they become paramedics, firefighters, or rescue instructors.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-7 ranks, 2026 estimate, plus the special-duty, hazardous-duty, or skill pays this specialty usually earns. Enlistment/reenlistment bonuses for this field can be $10k-$50k+.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school diploma, Coast Guard boot camp, then ~24 weeks of AST school (very high dropout rate). Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Emergency Medical Services, Fire Science.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones can drop rafts, but dropping into heavy seas to rescue people stays human.
Classes: PE / swimming, Health / first aid.
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.