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Other Marine Transportation

Types of Degrees Other Marine Transportation Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Marine Transportation may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	12
Associate’s Degree	6
Master’s Degree	40

What Other Marine Transportation Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Other Marine Transportation develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Marine Transportation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Marine Transportation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Transportation — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Other Marine Transportation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operation and Control — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Marine Transportation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Control Precision — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Spatial Orientation — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Far Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Marine Transportation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.6 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment	3.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Marine Transportation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Radar software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Echo sounder software	Analytical or scientific software	—
SEA.AI Offshore ONE	Mobile location based services software	—
Cartography software	Map creation software	—
Autopilot software	Expert system software	—
Global positioning system GPS software	Mobile location based services software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Roam Devices Roam Marine Monitor Hub	Expert system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Marine Transportation graduates include:

• Outboard Motorboat Operator
• Boat Operator
• Water Taxi Operator
• Towboat Operator
• River and Lakes Boatman
• Boat Launch Operator
• Harbor Pilot
• Motorboat Operator
• Rivers and Lakes Leverman
• Speedboat Driver
• River Pilot
• Rivers and Lakes Boatman
• Boatman
• Boat Driver
• Speedboat Operator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Marine Transportation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	39.7%
Less than a high school diploma	34.6%
Bachelor’s degree	14.0%
Some college courses	8.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Marine Transportation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 72.4% of Other Marine Transportation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	16	27.6%
Men	42	72.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Marine Transportation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	40	69.0%
Asian	1	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	5	8.6%
Black or African American	5	8.6%
Two or More Races	4	6.9%
Race Unknown	2	3.4%
International Students	1	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Marine Transportation Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Other Marine Transportation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,096
4 years	$58,110
5 years	$66,829

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,829 — roughly 21% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Other Marine Transportation Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Other Marine Transportation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Other Marine Transportation Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Marine Transportation graduates earn a median of $58,110 four years after completion — roughly 53% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Marine Transportation	1,158
Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer	561
Diver, Professional and Instructor	539
Commercial Fishing	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.