Also called: Hydrographer, Seafloor Mapper
Maps the shape of the seafloor so ships can navigate safely and engineers can build.
Hydrographers run sonar from survey boats, turning millions of depth readings into precise 3D maps of harbors, rivers, and the ocean floor. The work mixes boats, GPS, and software.
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 geomatics, ocean engineering, or surveying; NOAA and Navy also train hydrographers.
Ways in: 4-year college, Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Geomatics, Surveying, Ocean Engineering, Geography.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Medium risk for 10 years. Uncrewed survey boats and auto-processing cut routine work; experts still plan surveys and certify charts.
Classes: Geometry and Trigonometry, Physics, AP Computer Science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-1022.
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