Also called: Ice Drilling Engineer
Drills deep into ice sheets to pull up ice that records hundreds of thousands of years of climate.
Ice drillers run specialized drills in remote Greenland and Antarctic camps, carefully pulling up ice cores for scientists while battling cold and machine breakdowns.
Estimate; tiny field.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Engineering or technical degree; field experience through programs like the U.S. Ice Drilling Program.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology.
Growing slowly. No separate BLS projection; estimate based on related occupations.
Low risk for 10 years. Drill control systems are improving, but running and repairing drills in remote polar camps is skilled hands-on mechanical work.
Classes: Physics, Machining or welding CTE, Pre-calculus, Earth Science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3029.
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.