Also called: Spotter Pilot, Tuna Spotter
Flies small planes low over the ocean to find schools of fish and guide fishing boats to them.
Fish spotters circle above the Atlantic or Pacific for hours, scanning for the dark shapes of tuna or menhaden schools, then radio the boats exactly where to set their nets. Pay often includes a share of the catch.
Pay is often tied to the season's catch.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 3 years after high school. Commercial pilot certificate plus years of experience reading the water.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation.
Growing about average. A tiny, specialized niche.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Drones and satellite images can spot fish schools; crewed spotting shrinks to a small niche.
Classes: Biology, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2012.
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.