Also called: Surfing Judge, Surf Competition Official
Scores surfers' waves at competitions from 0 to 10, judging speed, power, and difficulty, from a tower overlooking the beach.
A surf contest judge sits in a beach tower with a panel of judges, watching each wave and entering a score in seconds. They follow strict criteria and replay close waves on a screen, then compare scores so results are fair.
Approximate; part-time per-event pay; world tour judges earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Surfing experience plus judging training and certification.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average. Contests run at local, college, and pro levels.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI wave-tracking may assist, but judging style and difficulty in real time stays human.
Classes: Physical education, Statistics, Earth science (oceans).
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.