Also called: Alvin Pilot, Submersible Operator
Pilots crewed submarines that carry scientists to the deep seafloor.
You squeeze into a sphere barely 7 feet across with two scientists and dive 2 miles down to hydrothermal vents where strange creatures live. Between dives, you maintain every system.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Engineering or technical background plus years of on-the-job training; only a handful in the US.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Ocean Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics Technology.
Growing about average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Low risk for 10 years. Piloting crewed subs to the deep seafloor and keeping every system working is a rare hands-on job.
Classes: Physics, Electronics CTE, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9099.
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