Also called: NOAA Commissioned Officer
A uniformed officer who drives NOAA's research ships and hurricane hunter airplanes.
The NOAA Corps is one of America's 8 uniformed services, and most people have never heard of it. Officers navigate science ships mapping the seafloor or fly into hurricanes, then rotate to shore jobs at labs.
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.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in a science, math, or engineering field plus NOAA officer training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Science, Meteorology, Engineering, Mathematics.
Growing slowly. Very small service of about 330 officers.
Low risk for 10 years. Research ships and hurricane-hunter planes still need uniformed officers to drive and fly them.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 55-1019.
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.