Also called: Aeromagnetic Survey Operator, Airborne Survey Geophysicist
Flies low over wild country in small planes or helicopters with sensors that map magnetic rocks, minerals and water hidden underground.
You fly about 100 meters above the Nevada desert, back and forth on lines a few hundred meters apart, tending computers linked to a magnetometer on a long tail "stinger." Back at the hangar you check the day's data, flag lines ruined by bumpy air, and plan tomorrow's re-flights.
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 geophysics, physics or geology; some operators start with an associate degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Geophysics, Physics, Geology.
Growing faster than average. Federal critical-minerals mapping boosted surveys.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Drones are starting to carry sensors for small surveys; long remote flights and field fixes stay human for now.
Classes: Physics, Earth science, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4043.
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.