Marine Science Officer

Types of Degrees Marine Science Officer Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many marine science/merchant marine officer graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	544
Associate Degree	23
Undergraduate Certificate	15
Basic Certificate	1

What Marine Science Officer Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to marine science/merchant marine officer were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Majors

Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Majors

A major in marine science/merchant marine officer prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer Majors

As you progress with your marine science/merchant marine officer degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Marine Science Officer Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with marine science/merchant marine officer:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge	8.8%	$69,180
Pilots, Ship	8.8%	$69,180
Ship and Boat Captains	8.8%	$69,180
Ship Engineers	6.9%	$71,130

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Marine Science Officer?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 91% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of marine science/merchant marine officer majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1
Black or African American	1
Hispanic or Latino	8
White	13
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	0

How Much Do Marine Science Officer Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $75,710 to $82,380 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Marine Science Officer

Some careers associated with marine science/merchant marine officer require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for marine science/merchant marine officer careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	40.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	38.2%
Some College Courses	7.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	6.0%
Master’s Degree	0.7%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.8%

Online Marine Science Officer Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	3	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Marine Science Officer Worth It?

The median salary for a marine science/merchant marine officer grad is $75,710 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 90% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $716,200 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Marine Science Officer

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to marine science/merchant marine officer.

Major	Number of Grads
Diver, Professional & Instructor	876
Other Marine Transportation	34

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.