Also called: Marine Mammal Observer
Watches for whales and dolphins during offshore construction and can stop work to protect them.
PSOs scan the ocean from a ship's bridge for hours with binoculars and listen with hydrophones, calling a halt to pile driving or seismic surveys if a whale comes too close.
Estimate.
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 biology plus NOAA-approved observer training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Biology, Biology, Environmental Science.
Growing about average. No separate BLS projection; estimate based on related occupations.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI thermal cameras and acoustic detectors are being tested; regulators still require trained human observers today.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4099.
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.