Also called: Boundary Commission Field Technician, Border Vista Technician
Keeps the 5,525-mile U.S.-Canada border visible by clearing a 20-foot strip through forests and repairing thousands of boundary markers.
You fly by helicopter to a mountain ridge in Alaska, cut back brush with a chainsaw to keep the border "vista" open, and use survey-grade GPS to check that a 100-year-old bronze monument has not moved. The work is a joint effort with Canadian crews and happens mostly in summer.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate degree in surveying or forestry, or on-the-job training; survey experience helps.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Surveying Technology, Forestry, Geography.
Growing about average. A tiny federal office; openings are rare.
Low risk for 10 years. GPS and drones help map the line; clearing brush and setting monuments in rough country stay human.
Classes: Geometry, Earth science, Shop or forestry class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3031.
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