Also called: STS/STG
Listens to the ocean with sonar to track submarines, ships, and whales.
Sonar techs sit at consoles analyzing sounds from the deep, identifying contacts by their acoustic signatures. Skills transfer to ocean research and defense contracting.
Figures approximate total military compensation (base pay plus tax-free housing and food allowances) from new to senior ranks; benefits include free healthcare, college money (GI Bill), and pensions after 20 years.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. Navy enlistment plus sonar school.
Ways in: Military. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing about average. Military hiring follows recruiting goals rather than BLS projections.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI now classifies many sound contacts, so fewer operators may watch more sensors; trained ears still confirm calls.
Classes: AP Physics, Music or band, Computer applications.
Official data: O*NET occupation 55-3019.
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.