Also called: Glider Pilot
Prepares and remotely 'flies' robotic gliders that collect ocean data for months at a time.
Glider techs ballast and launch torpedo-like gliders that drift up and down through the water, then steer them via satellite from a laptop, sometimes into hurricanes.
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. Science or technical degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Oceanography, Engineering Technology.
Growing faster than average. Small but growing field.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Glider fleets grow, but autonomy and remote piloting let fewer techs run more of them; launch and repair stay hands-on.
Classes: Physics, Electronics CTE class, Earth science.
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.