Also called: Gas-Free Certifier, NFPA Marine Chemist
Tests the air inside ship tanks and holds for explosive or toxic gas and signs the certificate that makes welding there safe.
Before a shipyard can weld inside a fuel tank, a marine chemist climbs in with gas meters, checks for vapors and oxygen, and inspects for sludge. If it is safe they post a certificate saying “Safe for Workers” or “Safe for Hot Work.” One wrong call could cause an explosion, so the job carries real legal weight.
Many are self-employed and paid per job.
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 chemistry or a science, years of shipyard or marine safety experience, then NFPA certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Industrial Hygiene, Marine Engineering.
Growing about average. Fewer than 100 certified in the U.S.; ship repair always needs them.
Low risk for 10 years. Wireless gas monitors help, but U.S. rules require a certified chemist to inspect and sign in person.
Classes: Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Physics.
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.