Ice Pilot

Median salary, education path, job outlook, and related careers — based on U.S. labor data.

What a Ice Pilot does

Guides commercial or research vessels through Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, reading ice patterns, pressure ridges, and leads to navigate safely in environments where GPS is unreliable and mistakes are catastrophic.

Education & path

The typical entry point is a bachelor's degree. About 4 years.

Estimated cost of that path: ~$40,000. Estimated payback: ~2 years. Estimates only — actual cost varies widely by school and financial aid; payback assumes ~20% of income applied.

Related careers

• Nautical Cartographer — $72,000/yr
• Aerial Survey Pilot — $88,000/yr
• Zoological Nutrition Scientist — $65,000/yr
• Tick Surveillance Biologist — $54,000/yr
• Primate Sanctuary Behaviorist — $49,000/yr