Also called: Torpedo Recovery Technician, Undersea Range Craftsman
Tracks and recovers practice torpedoes and underwater drones on Navy test ranges using boats, divers and hydrophones.
At a Navy undersea range like the one near Keyport, Washington, a test torpedo is fired with no warhead. Technicians follow it on hydrophone tracking screens, then race out in a recovery boat when it surfaces, hook it with a crane, and bring it back to be checked and reused. Other days they maintain the underwater tracking arrays.
Federal civilian or contractor pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Electronics or mechanical training; many are Navy veterans.
Ways in: Military, Trade school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Electronics Technology (2-year), Marine Technology.
Growing about average. Steady with Navy testing of torpedoes and uncrewed vehicles.
Low risk for 10 years. Tracking is automated, but recovering torpedoes from the water and fixing hardware needs people.
Classes: Electronics CTE class, Physics, Shop class.
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.