Also called: Industrial Rope Access Tech
Rappels down platforms, ship hulls, and wind turbines to inspect and repair them.
Hanging from ropes like a climber, rope access techs inspect welds, paint, and repair hard-to-reach structures offshore and onshore.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. IRATA or SPRAT rope access certification, often combined with NDT or welding skills.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Nondestructive Testing (trade school), Welding (trade school).
Growing faster than average. Steady demand in energy and construction.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones take over many inspections, but rappelling to repair welds, coatings and turbines stays human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Book an IRATA or SPRAT Level 1 course (5 days), then apply to rope access companies First: IRATA or SPRAT Level 1 course and exam (about 5 days, $1,500–2,500)
Classes: Physical education, Welding CTE class, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-4099.
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.