Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Let's be honest here. If you work on the ocean, every day is Talk Like A Pirate Day. Every week is Shark Week. Between those two facts, it's hard not to want to have some kind of nautical job. Granted, it's not as cool as plundering the Spanish Main for doubloons and shivering your timbers off…but still.
Knowing about the ocean gives you a ton of options. You're not as limited as those marine biologists who are going to be spending their lives hunting for grants so they can study why whales refuse to sing Taylor Swift no matter how nicely you ask. No, there are actual commercial applications for your major. Where there's private sector money, there's a chance for some high-living—on the ocean, of course, because you're first and foremost a sailor.
Common Career Fields
Marine Archaeology. People have been sailing over the water for longer than recorded history. This also means that there have been shipwrecks for just as long. As it turns out, crossing vast distances of water in boats isn't the safest thing in the world. This means that there are treasures of history and prehistory located beneath the waves, and scientists get to dig them out. Unfortunately, it's a bit too wet for the standard uniform: a fedora, leather jacket, and bullwhip.
Marine Engineer. Are you someone who likes to work with their hands? Good news. People are always going to need structures that can stand up to the relentless punishment the sea can dish out. Whether we're talking about oil rigs, coastal housing, or ships, all of these things can be designed better by someone who understands the ocean.
Climate Science. It's not the most uplifting of career fields since every piece of new information is more terrifying than the last. Even so, it's still important and becoming more so every day. The ocean is ground zero for the biggest environmental changes, and climate scientists often start there to find out how bad the news is for everyone else.
Geophysics. Some of the biggest changes on the planet are occurring under a whole lot of seawater. From the expanding of underwater trenches to the creation of seamounts, there's a wealth of information about how the planet works and how it's changed over the millennia that it's been here. It's a bit like geology, only with a lot more fish around you.
Advocacy. You love the sea so much that you're upset at how much the human race has messed with it. Considering there's a patch of garbage in the Pacific that's the size of Texas, you have an excellent point. So maybe you would like to be one of the people who try to get others to cut all that gross stuff out. You can become an advocate for a nonprofit.
Insurance. Surprised to see this here? Don't be. If something can be classified as an "act of God," then insurance companies have a policy on paying for it, and boy do they hate to do that. Insurance companies will pay oceanographers to predict hazards of the weather-related and natural disaster sort. The salary they pay will help them save on eventual payouts.
Journalism. With a thorough knowledge of the ocean and the salty heart of a pirate, you might want to do something a bit unexpected. Science journalism often employs strong writers who have an equally strong science background, especially when covering their area of expertise. You could conceivably work for print, web, or television media and use your knowledge to make complicated issues understandable to a mainstream audience. This is an excellent place for someone who wants to be on the vanguard of policy and make certain that the best information is available to all.
Current unemployment of the major
6.0%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
49%Stats obtained from this source.