Careers / Sailors and Marine Oilers
Sailors and Marine Oilers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$51,520
United States, 2025
Employment
31,670
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 53-5011.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.
- Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
- 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.
- Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
- Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system.
- Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.
- Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.
- Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$34,560
25th percentile
$41,430
75th percentile
$67,590
90th percentile
$83,620
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Operation and Control3.6
- Monitoring3.5
- Troubleshooting3.1
- Repairing3.1
- Equipment Maintenance3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Time Management3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 15 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
15
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operation and Control | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Repairing | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Sailors and Marine OilersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton, WA | $79,870 | 200 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $76,330 | 250 | 2025 |
| HI | $76,140 | 340 | 2025 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $75,530 | 700 | 2025 |
| Duluth, MN | $74,920 | 50 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $73,320 | 80 | 2025 |
| NJ | $71,880 | 520 | 2025 |
| OR | $70,410 | 210 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $68,780 | 410 | 2025 |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $68,740 | 110 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $68,740 | 1,080 | 2025 |
| WA | $66,700 | 1,590 | 2025 |
| Brownsville, TX | $65,940 | 70 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $63,900 | 160 | 2025 |
| AK | $63,130 | 480 | 2025 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | $62,650 | 560 | 2025 |
| Nashville, TN | $62,610 | 620 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $62,550 | 1,720 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $61,630 | 150 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $61,510 | 40 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Sailors and Marine Oilers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.