Also called: Loftsman, Nesting Technician
Converts ship drawings into the exact cutting patterns used to shape steel plates.
Once done with chalk on giant wooden floors, lofting today means programming CNC plasma cutters to nest hull pieces on steel sheets with almost no waste.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school plus CNC or drafting training; shipyard on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Trade school. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: CNC Machining (trade school).
Shrinking (about -1% over 10 years).
High risk for 10 years. Automated nesting software already turns CAD into CNC cutting paths; few manual lofting jobs will remain.
Classes: CAD or drafting CTE class, Geometry, Machining CTE class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-4011.
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.