Also called: Robot Boat Pilot, USV Remote Operator
Remotely supervises robotic boats that map the seafloor or patrol the ocean, sometimes from thousands of miles away.
From a shore-based control center, operators monitor fleets of robot boats, adjust their routes, and step in when weather or traffic gets tricky.
Estimate; new occupation.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Maritime or technical training; some need a USCG captain's license.
Ways in: 2-year college, Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Marine Technology, Marine Transportation.
Growing much faster than average. Emerging field with fast growth in defense and survey work.
Medium risk for 10 years. Fast-growing field, but rising autonomy lets one operator watch many robot boats, capping the number of seats.
Classes: Computer applications, Earth science, 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.