Also called: Heavy Weather Coxswain, Motor Lifeboat Surfman
The Coast Guard boat driver certified to take a 47-foot motor lifeboat into breaking surf to rescue people when everyone else turns back.
Surfmen serve at a few dozen surf stations on rough coasts like the Columbia River bar. They train in big breaking waves, lead small crews on rescues of fishing boats and swimmers, and judge whether a mission is too dangerous. Earning the surfman badge takes years.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-7 ranks, 2026 estimate, plus the special-duty, flight or hazardous-duty pays this job usually earns.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 5 years after high school. High school diploma, Coast Guard boot camp, boatswain's mate training, years as a coxswain, then the National Motor Lifeboat School. 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.
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. Weather models help plan; driving through breaking surf to save people stays human.
Classes: Swimming, Earth science, Physical education.
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.