Also called: Seafloor Geophysicist
Maps the seafloor and the rock beneath it using sound, magnetism and gravity.
You spend a month on a research ship running sonar that paints the seafloor in color, finding underwater volcanoes and faults. Back home you turn the data into maps for science, cables and offshore wind farms.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 8 years after high school. PhD or master's in geophysics or marine geology.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Geophysics, Marine Geology, Oceanography.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Geoscientists overall.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI processes sonar and seismic data quickly; ship surveys and interpreting faults stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2042.
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.