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Yes, marine transportation is a good career path. For people who like travel and being on the water, it can be the ideal field to work in.
When you hear the term marine transportation, what do you think of? Is it a ferry carrying people and cars over a body of water, or do you think of big ships traveling the ocean, delivering products that people bought online? Either way, you’re correct. Marine transportation is the moving of people or goods across waterways.
If you’re considering a career in marine transportation and life on the water is calling to you, then you’re in luck. This is a great career path, and it’s growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay is higher than the norm, which also means it’s a lucrative career path.
If you think that working in marine transportation might be the right path for you, then the following list of jobs might give you more information on where you can get started and what jobs pay the most.
Here are 12 great jobs in Marine Transportation:
The 5 Best-Paying Jobs in Marine Transportation
Working in marine transportation is a chance to show off your knowledge of the sea, equipment, and even marketing. If you’ve earned a degree and these are things that interest you, then you might want to pursue one of the following careers.
These are the highest paying jobs in marine transportation, and while you’re able to make a lot of money, you’ll need to put in the time to get a degree and probably many years of experience as well.
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Average Annual Salary: $90,000
A marine engineer is responsible for designing, overseeing, testing, installing, and repair of all marine equipment. This can be as huge as the ship itself, or it could be much smaller, and you could be working on one small piece of equipment.
While a marine engineer and a naval architect are not the same jobs, many of their tasks will cross paths, and they might be working closely together. These two professions work hand-in-hand to create safe vessels and efficient processes.
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Average Annual Salary: $84,000
A naval architect is tasked with designing, maintaining, and repairing naval equipment and other watercraft. This position requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or architecture and many years of experience focused on maritime equipment.
Within this profession, there are two major categories, those who design new ships and those who work on existing models, updating and repairing them.
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Marine Data Scientist
Average Annual Salary: N/A
A marine data scientist will have a bachelor’s degree and perhaps a master’s or doctorate. Their job is all about looking at oceanographical data and making determinations based on that data. The variety of questions they may be asked to explore is quite vast, from ways to streamline shipping lanes to determining what flora and fauna are being harmed by ships.
As data becomes more popular and prevalent, this position will grow in demand, ensuring you’ll have a future in the business and probably a good income as well.
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Average Annual Salary: $93,000
A port engineer is in charge of the technical aspects of operations and the infrastructure within the port. You’ll be working on maintenance and repair, checking to see if everything is running smoothly, and assisting as necessary.
The port engineer often works closely with the port captain to ensure that the ships coming into the port and the port itself is in working condition.
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Average Annual Salary: $60,000
The port captain is in charge of all of the ships in the port, making sure that they’re ready to embark on their voyages or dock. They will check the documentation and may even make sure that each ship has all of the equipment and crew that they need to perform their missions successfully.
The port captain has a lot of responsibility, and it takes years of experience to get to this position. This is why it is such a high-paying job. The larger your port, the more you can expect to be paid.
10 Entry-Level Jobs in Marine Transportation
Many jobs in marine transportation require only a high school diploma or a GED. Sometimes those aren’t even necessary if you have experience on the water and a willingness to put in some hard work.
Another great thing about this career path is that it’s very diverse; it’s possible to work in this field and never even step foot on a boat. There’s a lot more to explore than you might imagine. These entry-level positions can help you get your start in marine transportation.
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Average Annual Salary: $40,000
A deckhand is part of the deck crew and responsible for maintaining the ship. They won’t have to deal with the engine or other mechanical systems, but the overall maintenance and appearance of the ship will be their responsibility. There’s no additional education required, but you’ll need to be a strong and hard worker.
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Warehouse/Shipping Crew
Average Annual Salary: N/A
When maritime transportation deals with moving goods around, there are a lot of people working on getting those goods on the right ships and then unloaded once they reach their destination. This can be a back-breaking job, but it’s easily an entry-level position.
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Average Annual Salary: $26,000
Yes, there are basically restaurant-type jobs on ships. There often aren’t a lot of options on where people get to eat since most of the crew eats together, but there are people who are responsible for cooking food, serving food, and washing dishes.
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Average Annual Salary: $48,000
If the ship is moving goods, then this position is probably not available, but in a ship that is moving people, it definitely is. Part of maritime transportation is moving people, and when you’re moving people, you want to ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable trip. After all, you’ll want them to come again sometime.
A steward and a stewardess is an entry-level position that requires a good personality and the ability to quickly learn all the ins and outs of the ship.
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Average Annual Salary: $31,000
This job is probably the easiest one to get and do, but it’s still important. The wiper works on the engine crew and is responsible for keeping machinery areas clean and safe. It’s basically a janitor or cleaner position, so just about anyone can do it.
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Average Annual Salary: $51,000
A motorman begins their career in the engine room. They’re kind of the jack of all trades in this area of the ship, helping clean, overseeing operations, working on repairs, and testing systems.
This is the first step on the way to becoming Chief Engineer, and it’s the time when future engineers learn all they can about the ship and how it works.
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Data Entry
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Every goods shipping company has an office and in that office are many people working in data entry. They’re not that involved with the marine aspect of the job; the goods are where they’re focused.
Data entry people might be in charge of the bill of lading that serves as a receipt for the goods. They will have lots of inventory to keep track of and make sure items are received at their final destination.
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Average Annual Salary: $46,000
A ship fitter is responsible for the structural parts of ships. Their main job is to repair structural parts of a ship, but when that’s not on the top of their to-do list, they can also be found cleaning and doing odd jobs. It’s a lower-level position, but some fitters earn degrees to make more money and work into a position of higher responsibility.
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Average Annual Salary: $46,000
Oilers are sometimes called greasers, and their primary job is to make sure that the moving parts of the machinery are properly lubricated and moving freely. There may be other tasks involved that also have to do with the machinery and its performance.
Sometimes oilers are also charged with working on plumbing, air conditioning, lighting, and other miscellaneous tasks.
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Average Annual Salary: $40,000
You can start this job at an entry-level, but you’ll probably be working under a senior logistics coordinator at this point. You will be charged with coordinating communication between the production team and the sales team to make sure that distribution happens according to schedule. You’ll have to stay on top of shipping and receiving and any delays in routing.
This is one of those jobs where being on a ship is not part of your daily life. You may visit the docks at some point, but it’s not a requirement that you have your sea legs.
Why Choose a Career in Marine Transportation
If you’re looking for a fast-paced career that requires sharp intellect and physical strength, then you’re likely to find it working in marine transportation. People who love the sea will be called to this position, but there are opportunities to work in this field that don’t require any time on a ship.
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Job security. With so many products traveling overseas, the demand for people working in the marine transportation industry is steady. This is great news as you don’t have to worry about finding work or about pay; no matter what you do will be valued.
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Opportunity for advancement. Moving up in the world of marine transportation is possible. Sailing has been a career path for people for thousands of years, and they’ve always earned their rank and moved up without additional school, just years of learning. This established hierarchy can work in your favor.
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You’re at sea. If you want to work on the water and can’t imagine a life without it, then you’ll totally understand the pull of the water. This is something that people are just born loving, and they’d be happy to do anything as long as they can be on the water.
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The pay is good. Because there’s a lot of danger in many jobs in the marine industry, there’s also a higher pay rate. From entry-level positions to the highest-paid positions in the company, your wage will typically be higher than people doing the same job in a different field.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Marine Transportation
The good news is that a lot of entry-level positions in marine transportation don’t require advanced education, but you may find that some certificates will become necessary as you advance in your career. There are a few of the top earner positions that require a bachelor’s degree or perhaps even a master’s.
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High school and GED. Even getting your foot in the door might require some education, but not that much. If you’re willing to work hard, then a high school diploma or a GED will be enough.
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Trade or technical school degrees. It depends on what field you’re interested in pursuing within marine transportation but having a related technical or trade school degree in that area can give you a leg up professionally.
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Bachelors in Marine Science. This degree isn’t offered at all schools, but you can find the degree throughout the United States at different colleges and universities. It can give you an edge over the competition and some much-needed experience if you are looking to move up in this field.
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TDML Certificate. Transportation, distribution, and maritime logistics certificate is a great way to break into this field and begin moving up the professional ladder. This certificate proves that you know what’s involved in maritime transportation, how each area functions, and how to manage a supply chain. You might find that the position you want requires this degree.
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TWIC or MMC Certificates. There are more certificates that can boost your success. The TWIC is the Transportation Worker Identification Credential issued by the Transportation Security Administration, and the MMC is issued by the U.S. Coast Guard and stands for Merchant Mariner Credential.
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On-the-job training. Learning the skills you need on the job is going to play a big role in your maritime career. Even if you have a degree or if you’ve worked for a different maritime company, each company has its own systems and strict orders on performance that ensure your safety and that of everyone else on the team.
Is Marine Transportation a Good Career Path?
Yes, working in the marine transportation industry can be a great career path. If you love to be on the water and have always dreamed of a life aboard a ship, then this is probably the career for you. There are many different ways to gain entrance into this field, and from there, you can move up until you find the job that fits you best.
If you really aren’t interested in working on the water, this might still be the field for you. For every ship on the water, there are people on land working with the logistics, sales, and marketing. It’s a vast field, and there’s probably a job that just about anyone would enjoy doing, on water or off.
Finally, marine transportation is a good career path because it hits the most important aspects for many; it pays well, it’s stable, and there’s room for advancement. This is an industry that can give you a rewarding career from the first day you start working until you retire.
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Author
Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.
