Also called: Lightering Master, STS Mooring Master
Takes command of the tricky job of bringing two giant tankers side by side at sea to transfer oil between them.
A mooring master boards a supertanker by small boat or helicopter, maneuvers it alongside a smaller tanker in open water, oversees hoses and fenders, and stays aboard until the transfer is done. The Gulf of Mexico has many of these jobs.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 10 years after high school. An unlimited master's license and years as a ship captain.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Transportation, Maritime Studies.
Growing about average. A very small, elite group.
Low risk for 10 years. Bringing two giant tankers alongside at sea is high-stakes ship handling that stays human.
Classes: Physics, Trigonometry, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-5021.
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