Also called: Marina Forklift Operator, Boat Rack Operator
Drives a giant marina forklift that pulls boats out of four-story storage racks and gently sets them into the water.
At a dry stack marina, hundreds of boats sit on steel racks in a huge barn. The operator drives a massive forklift with long padded forks, slides them under a boat 40 feet up, and backs out carefully. Weekends are busiest as owners call ahead to have boats launched and ready.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. Trained on the job; forklift certification.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing about average. Dry stack storage is growing in coastal boating areas.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Robotic boat-stacking systems exist at a few marinas, but most still rely on skilled forklift drivers.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at marinas with dry stack storage; start as a dockhand and they train you on the forklift
Classes: Shop class, Driver’s ed, 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.