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Career overview · SOC 53-5011

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Break out, rig, overhaul, and store cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, and running gear. Perform a variety of maintenance tasks to preserve the painted surface of the ship and to maintain line and ship equipment. Must hold government-issued certification and tankerman certification when working aboard liquid-carrying vessels. Includes able seamen and ordinary seamen.

Also called: Able Bodied Seaman (AB Seaman) · Able Bodied Watchman (AB Watchman) · Able Seaman · Boat Crew Deck Hand · Bosun · Deck Hand

Median pay (national)
$49,610
$33,350–$81,890 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
31,360
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.3%
~3,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for sailors and marine oilers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $81,890 versus $33,350 at the bottom 10% — 2.5x. The median of $49,610 leaves roughly 65% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.3% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 3,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 34 states with released data, Oregon pays the most for this role (median $68,700, +38% vs the national median), while Virgin Islands sits lowest at $27,830 — a 147% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Monitoring
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Learning
  • Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Learning Strategies
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.
  • Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
  • Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
  • Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.
  • Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
  • Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear.
  • Paint or varnish decks, superstructures, lifeboats, or sides of ships.
  • Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
  • Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
  • Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.

Tools & technology

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
  • KNMI TurboWin
  • Kongsberg Maritime K-Log Deck Logbook
  • Log book software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word

Knowledge areas

  • Public Safety and Security
  • Transportation
  • Mechanical
  • Education and Training
  • Administration and Management
  • English Language
  • Mathematics
  • Customer and Personal Service