What Does it Take to Be a Ship Mate?

Example of Ship Mate Job Supervise or coordinate activities of crew aboard ships, boats, barges, or dredges.

Life As a Ship Mate: What Do They Do?

• Steer vessels, using navigational devices, such as compasses or sextants, or navigational aids, such as lighthouses or buoys.
• Observe loading or unloading of cargo or equipment to ensure that handling and storage are performed according to specifications.
• Determine geographical positions of ships, using lorans, azimuths of celestial bodies, or computers, and use this information to determine the course and speed of a ship.
• Observe water from ships’ mastheads to advise on navigational direction.
• Inspect equipment, such as cargo-handling gear, lifesaving equipment, visual-signaling equipment, or fishing, towing, or dredging gear, to detect problems.
• Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.

Things a Ship Mate Should Know How to Do

Below is a list of the skills most Ship Mates say are important on the job.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Other Ship Mate Job Titles

• Maritime Officer
• First Mate
• First Officer
• Able Bodied Tankerman (AB Tankerman)
• Second Officer

Is There Job Demand for Ship Mates?

In the United States, there were 38,800 jobs for Ship Mate in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,400 new jobs for Ship Mate by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 4,400 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Ship Mate are Nevada, Georgia, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Indiana, or Oregon. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Ship Mates Salary

The average yearly salary of a Ship Mate ranges between $35,410 and $144,690.

Ship Mates who work in Texas, Oregon, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.

How much do Ship Mates make in different U.S. states?

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$79,750
Alaska	$72,570
California	$70,840
Delaware	$74,790
Florida	$78,880
Georgia	$73,410
Hawaii	$52,830
Illinois	$67,020
Iowa	$75,600
Kentucky	$79,130
Louisiana	$93,010
Maine	$61,410
Maryland	$86,460
Massachusetts	$57,700
Michigan	$83,040
Minnesota	$73,910
New Hampshire	$51,490
New Jersey	$75,170
New York	$95,370
North Carolina	$55,710
Ohio	$47,810
Oregon	$100,150
Pennsylvania	$74,780
South Carolina	$67,090
Tennessee	$54,480
Texas	$103,950
Virginia	$77,370
Washington	$90,890
Wisconsin	$48,190

Tools & Technologies Used by Ship Mates

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Ship Mates may use on a daily basis:

• Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
• Log book software
• KNMI TurboWin
• Jeppesen Marine Nobeltec Admiral
• Maptech The CAPN

Becoming a Ship Mate

What education is needed to be a Ship Mate?

What work experience do I need to become a Ship Mate?

Who Employs Ship Mates?

Below are examples of industries where Ship Mates work:

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: via CC0 Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.