Also called: Fleet Boat Pilot, Switch Boat Operator
Drives small, powerful harbor boats that shuffle barges around a river port.
A fleet boat operator moves single barges between loading docks, cleaning stations, and parking tiers, working short, busy jobs all shift.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. Coast Guard license after deckhand experience.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Marine Transportation, Maritime Studies.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS 2025-35 projection band for SOC 53-5021: Average (3% to 4%).
Low risk for 10 years. Close-quarters barge shuffling in currents and wind is skilled boat handling that stays human.
Classes: Physics, Driver's ed, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-5021.
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