Life on and under the water: warships, submarines, Coast Guard rescue and law enforcement, NOAA science ships, and the civilian merchant mariners who supply them.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Surface Warfare Officer: Navy officer who drives and fights warships like destroyers, cruisers, and amphibious ships, aiming to one day command one. Typical pay $122k.
Nuclear Submarine Officer: Officer who runs a nuclear reactor and leads sailors aboard a submarine on months-long silent patrols. Typical pay $122k.
Coast Guard Officer: Leads Coast Guard missions like search and rescue, drug interdiction, port security, and ship inspections. Typical pay $122k.
NOAA Corps Officer: Uniformed scientist-officer who drives NOAA research ships and flies hurricane hunter planes. Typical pay $122k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Merchant Marine Deck or Engine Officer: Licensed civilian officer who navigates or runs the engines of cargo ships, tankers, and military supply ships. Typical pay $100k.
Nuclear Machinist's Mate: Enlisted sailor who operates and maintains the steam and reactor systems on nuclear submarines and carriers. Typical pay $70k.
Nuclear Electronics Technician: Operates and repairs the reactor control and instrumentation systems on nuclear ships. Typical pay $70k.
Navy Diver: Salvage and underwater repair diver who works on ship hulls, recovers wreckage, and supports special operations. Typical pay $70k.
Sonar Technician (Submarine): Listens to and analyzes underwater sounds to detect ships, submarines, and marine life. Typical pay $70k.
Boatswain's Mate: Deck sailor who handles lines, anchors, small boats, and cargo, and keeps the ship's exterior in shape. Typical pay $62k.
Gunner's Mate: Maintains and operates ship guns, missile launchers, and small arms. Typical pay $62k.
Operations Specialist: Runs radar and tracking displays in a ship's combat center to build the picture of everything nearby. Typical pay $62k.
Quartermaster (Navigation): Navigates the ship using charts, GPS, radar, and stars, and keeps the ship's official log. Typical pay $62k.
Damage Controlman / Hull Technician: Shipboard firefighter, flood-control expert, and repair specialist who keeps the ship afloat in emergencies. Typical pay $62k.
Gas Turbine Systems Technician: Operates and repairs the jet-engine-style gas turbines that power many warships. Typical pay $62k.
Maritime Enforcement Specialist: Coast Guard law enforcement member who boards vessels, enforces laws at sea, and guards ports. Typical pay $62k.
Marine Science Technician: Coast Guard environmental responder who investigates oil spills, inspects hazardous cargo, and protects ports. Typical pay $62k.
Fire Controlman (Aegis): Operates and repairs the radars and computers that guide a warship's missiles and guns, including the Aegis system. Typical pay $62k.
Submarine Missile Technician: Maintains the Trident ballistic missiles and launch systems aboard nuclear-armed submarines. Typical pay $62k.
USS Constitution Sailor: An active-duty Navy sailor assigned to the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat, giving tours, firing cannon salutes and climbing the rigging. Typical pay $62k.
Coast Guard Surfman: The Coast Guard boat driver certified to take a 47-foot motor lifeboat into breaking surf to rescue people when everyone else turns back. Typical pay $70k.
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.